Hello Andrew,
I am not sure it is necessary to patronize SU's user with your comments on "what we need". We can figure out what is going on in the 3D CAD industry and decide for ourselves where we want to spend our money, how much, and under what purchasing conditions.
I also believe you are over-reaching with your comment that what you have will "far surpass our expectations". I can assure you the programmers at Vectorworks, Archicad, Revit, and the like are yawning at that observation. Some have been at what you have just begun to code for the past 30 years.
Again, I may not like to work with those programs (I have them all, and yes, I own them), but they are first-class.
I am sorry the code nasties are doing their usual devious number on you and your colleagues. This is highly unfortunate, yet a fact of life for any programmer. There must be a way for you to allow potential users a free trial period of enough time for anyone to determine if they want to buy the program. We will not pay for it only to "return it" if it is not right for us.
No need to explain 'hybrid' modelling to us. We know what is missing in SK and would love to see it implemented well, like with Plusspec, for example.
You push too hard on the business benefits we would derive. Let us decide that for ourselves.
Here is a question you have not addressed: what happens if you decide---or Heaven forbid, are forced out of business,either after 6 months, or 5 years. What happens to the subscription user. They are left with nothing they can use for their payments. It just does not work....
Here is what I suggest:
- A one time purchase price to be no more than the cost of SK---less than $500US.
- Upgrade pricing annually that is reflective of the improvements and changes you have made. Again, because we are SK, no more than the actual cost of SK.
- A reasonable free trial period.
Here is the thing: my sense is that we all want you and your firm of programmers to succeed. If good (and let us decide), Plusspec---as a one time purchase, would be a superb addition to the SK arsenal of tools. Absolutely superb.
Please listen. It is never too late to correct a flawed business model. Well, almost never....
You have my sincere best wishes.
David