Why you can’t pay us to add custom modules

From time to time, we receive offers from businesses wanting us to add custom modules to streamline their workflow. We are sometimes offered tens of thousands of dollars or even the salary of additional developers for the duration of the project. Our answer has always been the same. No.

Sure, the upfront money can go a long way toward growing the company. In fact, no business would bat an eye if we also asked for a recurring maintenance fee for the module. However, custom modules are where code ends up rotting. For a small team like YoPrint, it’s a death sentence.

If we take on 10 companies, then it’s 10 different ways the code branches. If we take a 100, then it’s 100. If we want to put forth a new feature, we need to consider not only the majority of our users but also the other 100 forks we took. Suddenly, any feature we implement is a giant undertaking, and everything slows to a crawl.

The other dilemma is that the custom module will not get enough eyeballs on it. We have 400 businesses using our software right now. Whenever we develop and release a feature, realistically, we are only going to test scenarios that affect all 400 customers. We are not going to be looking out for the individual 100 companies that it may potentially affect. It’s simply not feasible.

Also, should an issue arise on the custom module, it’s only affecting one company, so what’s the big deal? We may start enthusiastically but it will inevitably become a lower priority. Now imagine If an issue arises on the main code base, affecting 400 businesses. I can bet my ass we are going to drop everything and fix it. That’s the level of customer service our users expect and deserve from us.

No custom modules, ever. Instead, we listen to all feature requests, evaluate what would benefit the majority of our customers, and push the platform forward. We are not doing it free of charge. In fact, you are already paying for it in the form of a subscription. Why would anyone pay a recurring cost for the same product? Subscriptions pay our salary, and in exchange, we put in the work. It’s a simple exchange.

Some businesses chose to move forward with our solution, while others kept looking for a solution more in line with their needs. Both parties understood our reasoning for it, and that’s a win for everyone involved. The relationship didn’t start on the wrong foot. We are not looking for a quick exit. We are looking to build a lasting business, and custom modules are not the way we are going to do it.