Twelve years ago, almost to this day, JibberJobber went live. It was the best of times and the worst of times. The best because I was living my entrepreneurial dream, and ready to change the world. I was super optimistic. It was the worst of times because just five months earlier I was laid off and went through a horrible job search and experienced real, long-term depression.
For the Last Twelve Years We’ve Had Our Ups and Downs
Mine was truly an entrepreneurial journey. There was optimism and there were some very difficult periods. I made a lot of decisions that were great, and a lot that were not great. My pricing decisions have fallen into both of these categories at one point or another. I got a lot of advice, much of which was bad, and changed the pricing model a few times. Today I am announcing a new change that is probably long overdue.
It’s a hard thing to announce because it’s the first time we are going this direction. However, it is a critical decision I’ve had to make for the viability and future of JibberJobber.
The Change
Starting this week, the Free Level allows you to have 25 Contacts and 25 Companies (instead of 500 Contacts and 500 Companies). You still get access to all features except Email2Log, bulk importing, and push notifications on Reminders (Action Items).
What is the Premium Level?
The Premium Level price remains at $60 a year. You have unlimited access to all features, and you can add as many Contacts an Companies as you want, and you get full access to the JibberJobber Video Library.
Who Is This For?
All new signups will have a seven day trial period, where they get the Premium Level. After seven days they go down to the Free Level (25 Contacts/Companies and no Email2Log, etc.) until they upgrade. Anyone who has signed up before this change will get 90 days of Premium to decide what to do before their account goes to the Free Level.
The Nuts and Bolts of Running JibberJobber
I have been personally funding JibberJobber for twelve years. The free accounts, the people who have used JibberJobber but never upgraded, the free upgrades for veterans, has mostly been funded out of my own pocket. My two “investors,” my dad and my father-in-law, helped get JibberJobber up and running.
If I were to hire an experienced CEO today, he or she would probably make this decision immediately and without hesitation. He or she wouldn’t have the emotional ties to users, past and present, that I do. It would be a much easier decision because it is the right decision. For me, the emotion makes it’s a hard decision, but I know it is the right thing to do.
I understand that some users will be unhappy but for the good of the system, for improvements and upgrades and maintenance, to have a future with career management, we need to do this.
I appreciate your support. If you don’t support this and you go somewhere else, I respect that.
Here’s to another solid twelve years of helping people stay organized and land their dream job. If you choose to upgrade, please know that we are not squandering your money. It’s only $60 but we take that very serious, and are invested in making this better, faster, and more relevant for you.
Totally with you on this! JibberJobber is one of the best tools for job searchers and career coaches like me. Keeping track of people, meetings and appointments is made simpler and the VIDEOS are SUPER GOOD ways to sharpen yourself for interviews, LinkedIn and follow-up tips.
Best deal on the net!
Blessings,
Kelly
What does this mean for subscribers that let their account fall back to free accounts?
Are their Contacts and Companies retained, just without the ability to add any more without a paid membership?
Good question Robert, thanks for asking. I’ll create a separate blog post and email to each of the users who signed up before this change.
Yes, your Contacts and Companies, and everything, are retained. As before, if you got anything while Premium, or on a Premium trial, you get to keep and access (and export) all of it. We allow you to fully use what you have in already.
Also, you do not have to make a decision to upgrade within 7 days… we give everyone who signed up before this change 90 days before they need to upgrade.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for always generously supporting people who are in job search and those focused on managing their careers well (whether or not they are currently employed), as well as career pros who work with them.
Your new subscription model still generously supports the JibberJobber community with a premium level that is very fairly priced (especially given how much is provided in return for the price), and honors the fact that it takes resources (time, funds,…) to offer such a valuable service. Thank you for choosing to continue to offer JibberJobber, and for caring about your community.
Warmest wishes for your continuing success, and my deep thanks for all you do,
Shahrzad
Thank you Shahrzad, for the kind words and years of support 🙂
I have found JibberJobber to be an indispensable tool during job search. My use of the tool is sporadic, heavy when I am job searching, non-existent when I am not. However, being able to upgrade when I need the tool’s extended features while keeping my data around when I don’t is a huge benefit. Several times I have found the need to refer back to my notes about a company I interviewed with to help me remember why I liked or didn’t like a certain opportunity. I support what you are doing. Keep this product alive!
I’ve been referring students to JibberJobber since its inception and I will continue to do so with complete confidence. Glad you’re still providing exceptional service.
Jerry, thank you for the support. You are right… when we created JibberJobber one of the objectives was to allow you to keep these data for the duration of your career. In-between job searches we don’t expect to see you much (unless you are a heavy networker), but to be able to come back to it when you are in transition again is a great kickstart to your job search. Thanks for your support!
Lee, thank you!!