Just had an idea - if so many people get burned by those disappearing saas sites, then perhaps it is time for startups to get some insurance to show themselves more trustworthy? For example, for each year running we will insure running unchanged for another year if we were to fail/get bought, etc. ? That could bring more trust into Saas business and perhaps make it less bitter.
1. Most services get acquired weeks or months after launching (Sparrow, Mailbox), and
2. Those promises are pretty hard to deliver on. If a company fails, who are you going to complain to when they don't keep running as promised? When a company gets acqui-hired and the mothership chooses to kill or freeze the service, they can just change the Terms & Conditions.
It's becoming more and more important to show that you are seriously committed to your product and not just in it for the short-term win (and even then an Instagram can happen), but I'm not sure an insurance would be worth more than an empty promise.
I meant actual insurance, via insurance company. Delivery would be funded via money on the insurance. The insurer would've been obliged to comply with these terms.
Regarding the killing after acquisition - I agree, but these are the cases the insurance would be targeted against. Those without insurance would be clear that they don't care about the user.
