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First release, we’re live

It’s always challenging to launch a new product. Are there too few features and functionalities? Or did you wait too long before getting honest feedback?

When you’re using the product, either as the solo founder or the team building it, it’s clearer where that line should be drawn.

Tangara v1

I published a book in September 2018 that became an online course later. I’ve always wanted to build a platform to sell my content. At the end of 2023, I finally had a chance to make it.

I’ve seen SaaS products increase their price in 2023, but the platform I used for my courses detached a core feature and made it a separate paid part.

I won’t name anyone here, it’s not the goal. But this made me want to build software that can be self-hosted with a one-time purchase price. I’ve been building software for more than two decades now, and I enjoy having software versions, clear release cycles, and the option to self-host if desired.

Self-hosted and hosted?

I recognize that only some people want to self-host and manage servers. I’m offering a fully managed service as well.

The idea is that the customer choose between a 100% self-hosted scenario, an installation by me on their server, or I manage the server entirely.

You can transfer your server to you or the software and database to another server at any time. The point is that you pay for a software license, and I offer managed hosting if you prefer.

Is it different than a SaaS? Yes, because you own your data and can transfer the server to you at any time. You decide if you want to continue receiving updates to the software or take a pause.

What about support?

An active license includes support just like a SaaS provides support. At the time of writing, it still needs to be determined how updates will be acquired and installed on self-hosted servers. I intend to make the installation and update processes as straightforward as possible.

For fully managed hosting, the customer can select a region where their server gets provisioned and the software installed, and monitoring is put in place to ensure the software is working correctly.

In conclusion

I believe the following benefits are tangible with Tangara:

  1. No price increase; you know what you’re paying for.
  2. No features can be removed from the software or require plan changes for you to continue using them.
  3. You own your data and can run the software for as long as possible.
  4. You decide if you need to upgrade the software to the latest version when you judge it is best for you.
  5. You can host multiple stores without having any additional costs.

I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and get some feedback.