This worked for Mint. I am less confident it will work for Xero, even though many startups/small businesses (myself included) want an alternative to Quickbooks.

The article didn't mention this, but one of the most important selling points is not how it looks to SMBs, but whether or not banks and accountants will work with it. I remember reading somewhere that 90% of small business accountants integrate with Quickbook files or Quickbooks Online. Getting accountants to start using a new system will be a tough sell, especially if only a small number of early adopter clients are there to begin with.

While it may be possible to encourage SMBs to switch to Xero-based banks or accountants, that's a large step for some. I use a neighborhood bank for business banking services (augmented by Dwolla) and a local accountant team that is pretty sharp. Switching is not only a PITA, there's also the risk that a new bank and accountant may be lacking in other areas, even if they support Xero.