Dec 12

Written by: Matt Abar
12/12/2008 6:16 PM

I just posted Alpha 1a to the site. We spent the last two weeks cleaning up the existing screens, redesigning the import and print wizard, and stabilizing the software by fixing numerous crashing bugs. We've added all the icons, generally cleaned everything up and it's looking sharp. We're really seeing the payoff now on the new (and sometimes painful) technology decisions we've made.

At Techfi we moved quickly, often moving on to new features and creating new products without perfecting the existing ones. We're taking a different approach this time, focusing solely on the core product. Fixing bugs comes first, and I'll be happy with a slow, steady growth instead of the big bangs we had at Techfi. I feel that this is a more mature approach that ultimately gets us to the same place with much less drama.

Sometimes it really hits me what FinFolio is taking on here. We're going up against some large, established competitors with software products having (literally) hundreds of man-years of development time. Not only do we think we can compete, we think we'll be better. Not just in one or two places, but everywhere. Better reconciliation tools, slicker reports, a more customizable architecture, and better service and support.

On days like today, it seems like we could do this in our sleep. I've been giving FinFolio Desktop demos for the last two weeks, and have heard lots of enthusiasm for what we're doing; nobody has had any negative comments*. In these two weeks we've come from having a shaky alpha to something that very much looks like professional portfolio management software.

You can download the new alpha here. If you don't have access but want to see it, e-mail me at MattAbar@finfolio.com. Have a nice weekend!

*Looks too much like Microsoft Office--is that negative?

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