SaaS App Relationships Are Like People Relationships
We’ve all crossed paths with some great people.
Of course, we don’t have time to get to know them all, or we don’t need them all, or more importantly, that “thing” wasn’t there.
You know what the “thing” is – mostly it’s intangible – simply knowing early that the relationship is going somewhere.
Your SaaS app relationships are the same. We’ve all been introduced to some great apps, but you can’t possibly have time to get to know them all; we certainly don’t need them all, and for sure, that “thing” isn’t always there.
Let’s say that “thing” and the need for the relationship are there; what’s next?
That’s when we get deeper into the relationship.
You know it’s a great fit, you gel, your goals and core values are the same. You’re on the same path marching forward, but there are quirks. Stuff you wish they would fix. Stuff that drives you crazy. Glitches and hiccups and things they didn’t even know they should be doing (or not doing). And maybe, just maybe, they feel the same about you…
Should you complain and gripe and peck away and try to change them completely?
Try to get them to change right now, with no allowance for meaningful growth?
Or can you make suggestions based on what’s already working for you, what makes the relationship better, and what will make for sustainable development?
We’ve all known people who meet someone great, love certain qualities and then believe the relationship growth will come by changing them completely. You know, like now. Right now.
That’s not how it works for people – or SaaS apps, though.
For starters, the internet is a glitchy world. And SaaS is new; most of the apps I love are really, really new.
Often it’s a “picnic” (problem in the chair, not the computer*).
It goes both ways; it’s them and you.
Are you respecting their side of the relationship?
Did you learn how to handle the app properly, how to use it with best practices and the SaaS apps’ known tips and tricks?
Do you know what makes the app perform well, what makes it “happy”?
It’s not effective to pile on without taking the time to learn about the app and then start griping away that it needs fixing – maybe it’s not as broken as you think.
So if you love the app, if at its core it’s a good fit, you need it, and it has that “thing,” then give it time.
Love it for what it is right now and what it will be moving forward as a relationship.
Treat the relationship with the app and the people behind it with respect.
Have private conversations with the developers about irritations.
Join in public discussions on why new features and fixes would be so valuable.
And never lose sight of how great the relationship was right from the start.
One last note:
Pay for apps you love!
It grinds my gears that people think appreneurs - the brave souls who change our day with their products - are volunteers. I want my app partners to not only survive, but to grow and prosper alongside me!
::Pet peeve alert:: People complain that a free version doesn’t have the features of the paid one - yes, people really do this - sigh…
*I shamelessly stole this acronym from a member of one of the great professional Facebook Groups I am in.
Simply yours, Kellie :-}
::Shameless Call To Action::
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