Intuit App Center received a big update last week, something that had been anticipated from an earlier announcement in their IPP blog, where they wrote:

"We will be presenting apps based on a simple formula: number of reviews x star rating (to represent quality). "

On the surface, this may seem like trivial news. It may even beg the question "Doesn't it just make common sense that the best apps should rise to the top". To someone from the outside, I bet it almost seems like they "fixed" something with the App Center listing.

In reality, this change goes much deeper. Developers and QuickBooks end-users alike should be shouting "hooray!" at the top of their lungs.

They didn't fix the listing in Intuit App Center. They unfixed it.

You see, Intuit has put a lot behind the Intuit App Center, and is pouring more and more resources into it. The apps listed on Intuit App Center consist mostly of 3rd party apps like Method CRM, Bill.com and MavenLink, but also include Intuit’s own applications. So...if you are Intuit, and your apps are listed together with 3rd party applications, you have 2 choices.

The choice:

#1: Give Intuit owned applications preferential treatment and the most prevalent listings in order to get maximum exposure.

-or-

#2: Make a commitment to developers - "Let the best app win, regardless of who wrote it".

From a developer's standpoint, do you want to write applications for a partner platform knowing that no matter how great you make your app, you'll always get second class treatment? Hell no! You want choice #2, a strong commitment from the platform that if you try really, really, hard to make a killer app that creates supreme customer happiness, you'll rise to the top.

From the end user standpoint, you want developers fighting for you. You don't want app developers relaxing because they were already promoted to the top for political reasons. You also don't want 3rd party developers de-motivated because no matter how hard they try, they'll never get full recognition. So Intuit’s choice to make a commitment to developers is a huge win for end users too.

So I tip my hat to Intuit for making the right choice. Their commitment will attract more developers, creating a community of better applications, happier end users, and ultimately a stronger Intuit.

Paul


Paul Jackson
Founder & CEO
Method CRM