It was somewhere in my late 20s when I started to realize that my utmost priority in both life and business is the ability to chart my own course. To do precisely what I want, when I want it, without being beholden to external interests. This is also reflected in how we run appointmed.
The quest for independence and freedom isn’t merely a whim for us. It’s a deeply ingrained and guiding principle that shapes every aspect of our venture. It’s the reason why we are a fully remote company. And it’s why we always valued profitability over explosive growth and investments.
When you are not tethered to other people’s money, you retain full control. You answer only to yourself and your customers. It allows us to steer the ship to our own compass.
After years fraught with challenges and uncertainties — and I’m sure this was in no small part due to our urge for independence — we are now running a very profitable business. One that most companies can only dream of. This gives us the freedom to prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gains. To do things other companies are often not allowed to do because of external influences.
Reflecting on Past Choices
Recently, we felt held back by some of the decisions we had made in the past. In the early days, you have no idea where the product is going. The struggle to find your first few customers takes over everything and prevents you from thinking about the years down the road.
The shortcuts taken and compromises made for survival have left us with a product that, while functional and beloved by our customers, falls short of our vision. They may not notice, but we do. And it bothers us tremendously.
This realization led us to a crossroads.
We could either continue improving our existing product, endlessly iterating and adding new features. All that on a code base that sometimes requires a lot of bending for it to do what we want it to do; or take everything we have learned in the past eight years and apply it to a new product. We chose the latter…
Crafting Our Next Chapter
A blank canvas.
A clean slate.
A fresh start.
We now know exactly what our product is supposed to be and what our customers want. Even more important, what our customers don’t want or need. Something that was not clear when we embarked on this journey in 2016.
We now know how each feature connects with everything else and no longer need to find creative workarounds for certain workflows. Or glue something together because of constraints we have built deep inside the product's core.
Armed with this level of clarity, we're charting a new course. This is what true independence affords you. It allows you to follow your instincts, even when they diverge from the mainstream and usual conventions.
I can’t imagine a VC agreeing with this approach. Many people I told about our plan tried their best to talk us out of it. It potentially means slower growth over the next 12 or maybe even 24 months. The last thing investors want to hear.
However, with an existing product that brings in more than enough revenue each year and an extremely low churn rate, we have the necessary financial cushion to give this a try. It is the right time to take the risk and build something even better.
Embracing the Unknown
Are we right? No idea, to be honest. The road ahead is uncertain, and outcomes may differ from our expectations. Yet, there lies the beauty of independence that I came to appreciate in my career and in life. It is what makes it a journey worth embarking on despite the unknown.
It feels like the right thing to do.
