[AIMunchkin]

I'm going to post a contrarian viewpoint that unless your product is self-contained and it can continue on without you if you are hit by a truck or even acqui-hired for top $, I will avoid you.

Too many pay apps and even games with DLC have gone poof in recent years because of the latter situation or because the cost of maintaining the DLC no longer justified itself.

[codingdave]

One cannot build a company with the expectation that everyone will use your product. There are always people who will find a reason not to work with you. You have to aim for the majority, not the exceptions.

If everyone felt like you did, it is a deal-killer. But you need to do enough research to know whether or not that is true before giving it any weight in your decision making processes.

[tonyedgecombe]

It seems to me solo founders are far more likely to open source the product or do whatever they can to keep it going whereas a big company will drop something as soon as it makes a quarterly loss.

[jetti]

What about with desktop software? Once you buy it you are able to use that version and don't have to rely on the vendor sticking around. Also, how do you go about finding such information about a company if a micro ISV doesn't publicly say they are just a solo venture?

[jimnotgym]

When I purchase enterprise software I call them up and ask how many people work for them. In UK (and sure it translates) I normally pull their accounts from companies house. If not incorporated I'm suspicious. If they are it will help me gauge size