Ulysses, infected by a trendy virus, changes to all-Subscription model

Posted by Paul Korm
Aug 12, 2017 at 01:35 PM

@slartibartfest I don’t have an issue with renting software, or SaaS, or whatever one wants to call the model. I rent lots of software. Essentially, upgrades are rents—merely paid infrequently. I have a problem with rent-seeking, which is not “renting” in the colloquial sense. Ulysses, Smile, DayOne—each of these firms have promised future improvements in return for current rents. Too early to tell for Ulysses, but the others have not yet made good on that promise. Time will tell.

The model used by Bear and Outlinely makes more sense than Ulysses’—the fee is for incremental features.

But you’re right—McKinsey and others have repeatedly demonstrated that SaaS suppliers have significant increased revenues. The genie is out of the bottle—I expect most of the developers operating in the space this forum is concerned with will very likely move to the rental model.

In a few years someone will start a thread here “Ulysses abandons subscriptions—changes to one-time fee” and all the comments will be “whoa, why would anyone want to do that?”