FreshBooks is a web app …some might call it Software As a Service (SAAS). SAAS is a great model for so many reasons (access from anywhere, automatic updates, outsourcing of security, uptime and backups…), but one reason I think it’s so much better than any form of software delivery before it is that the delivery model itself breeds better software.

Any software developer who does not get immediate and ongoing connections with her users is flying blind. Every barrier between the user and the developer is an obstacle in the path of success. User feedback that is immediate (“you have a bug here”) and insightful (“the wording of this link is ambiguous”) is what you need to make the minute decisions that differentiate good software from great software, and let’s you give your users what they want.

It’s all about giving your users what you want. If you do, they will take care of you and your company and your future…lest you get out of touch them and start to live too far “inside the bottle” as best selling authors the Jeffrey and Brian Eisenberg call it in “Waiting for Your Cat to Bark“. [Note: Jeffrey Eisenberg will be my guest for this week's free teleseminar. Please join us.]

At FreshBooks our entire team all receives every customer support email. We all read the forum. At FeedBurner, everyday their team takes turns managing customer support on a rotation. Why do these two companies force everyone to spend so much time on support? Because is keeps you close to your customer so you can serve them better. At FreshBooks it is also a question of values and what we believe will bring us long term success.

On that note, I send a heart felt thank you to all of our customers. We would not be here without you.