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Comment by unlinked_dll | Hacker News Reader

What is a CRM, and what problems does this solve instead of being simple/cheap? (not all of us work in the same industries with different acronyms)

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'CRM' stands for Customer Relationship Management, and in a sentence is usually short for 'a CRM app'. CRMs are what folks use to keep track of their relationship with a given client. E.g. when you call your bank, the person at the other end knows your info, what happened last call, etc. That's because of the CRM.

Lots of solo-entrepreneurs struggle with CRMs, because the existing solutions are geared for large corporations or specialty verticals (e.g. healthcare, banking). Formerly, singletons used solutions like Access and FileMaker, but these are obviously deprecated in 2019 for all the usual reasons, some of which are good.

OP has created a general-purpose CRM fit for solopreneurs. I'd throw down right away for this if I wasn't worried about what happens to my data if this offering disappears, which is the Usual Problem with SaaS and one not really addressed by this product (nor is it reasonable to expect it to be.)

Thank you for your proper explanation of a CRM. I understand about your concern with your data but I can assure you, I am building this SaaS product for people like you and it is here to stay.

I am also planning on building an exporting feature , not because this product will disappear one day (which will not happen) but because I want you (the user) to be able to access your data whenever you need.

I am more than happy to hear any concerns you might have

Who takes over if you unexpectedly die or fall into a coma? That’s the hardest question I can give you, I don’t like thinking about it either .. but before I trust a huge business decision with a new SaaS these need to be asked. Do you have a team, a cofounder?

Valid concern. Who wants to use a product and see it be discontinued. As of right Micro CRM is a bootstrapped product and I do not have a co-founder. However as a Solo entrepreneur I am dedicated fill gaps in markets like this one.

The ideal future for me would be having a small team to work on these projects with me but as of right now it is a one man show.

If your board of directors wanted you to sell the company to another company to trigger a liquidity event, there is a very real possibility that the product would be shut down after the merger completes. This is a common SaaS M&A strategy we see play out often, and it is not necessarily the CEO's or founders' choice or desire.

There may be cultural differences at play here, but you may wish to tone it down on the absolutism. There's an expression I hear/use frequently.

The idea is under promise and over deliver.

This is a much easier/healthier way to set yourself up and create a positive image for you and your business.

Framing it differently, your company absolutely might fail, BUT if it did, your users data would be safe. This shows a lot of foresight and should alleviate most of the concerns prospective customers may have.

It is better because you're not providing absolute guarantees for scenarios that are outside your locus of control. At some point you will likely have a lawyer who you should run marketing material by before you release it.

Hey! Thanks for checking my app out. All of things you listed above happens a lot you see SaaS companies being sold out all the time I am aware of that.

Micro CRM is my very first bootstrapped product and I understand your concerns. My goal with this project and everything else I have in mind is not to sellout eventually but to create solutions for people that need them and make a living that way.

At the end of day creating a SaaS, or even you, the user deciding to use my app is a gamble. if you believe this product is the right fit for you I would be delighted to have you as a customer. If not I will gladly take any feedback you will have

I'm pretty happy with https://www.lessannoyingcrm.com/ and have been a customer for several years—they seem to be making a Pinboard-esque "be small and don't die" play, and functionality and support have both been great for $10/month.

I'm not affiliated aside from being a happy customer. And there's plenty of room for more CRMs so I wish OP the best of luck with Micro!

Hi Thank you for checking us out!

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