Joel on Software: “The trouble is, after I use PayMyBills, if I don’t like it, I need to call every damn credit card company and change my address again. That’s a lot of work. And so the fear of how hard it will be to switch back is keeping me from using their service. Earlier I called this ‘stealth lock-in,’ and sort of praised it, but if potential customers figure it out, oh boy are you in trouble.
That’s the barrier to entry. Not how hard it is to switch in: it’s how hard it might be to switch out.”
