I love Standard Notes!

I'm very happy with Standard Notes app (https://standardnotes.org/) plus their https://listed.to blog publishing service.  So happy, in fact, that I've subscribed to their 5 year, extended plan. 

Standard Notes makes me happy because the developers:  

* release the code under an open source license (both server and clients). 
* devote a great deal of attention to usability and documentation.
* prioritize user privacy.
* fight against bloat in the main flagship program--most features are handled via plugins. 
* plan for the long term.
* respond quickly to customer service needs.
* don't attempt to lock in users or create a walled garden.

But I especially like that the staff seems to have figured out how to comfortably support themselves financially, yet still remain aligned with the interests of their customers. This helps give me confidence that the app/service will be around for a long time, and not someday compromise my security for financial gain.

When I asked on the Standard Notes Reddit if the staff was happy with the financial health of the company, Standard Notes employee /u/a_standard_user responded: 

"Well, I'll speak for the business (and not the rest of the team, a few of whom are not active on reddit) and say that we're doing great, not going anywhere, and in fact, growing—we're hiring 🙌 The subscription revenue model really solves a lot of the common problems with sustaining software products. At where we are today, even if for some calamitous reason we completely stopped gaining new subscribers, we could still sustain off existing subscriptions for a very long time to come.

We're working on a lot of exciting projects right now (that will take some time), so we're hoping it only continues to get better from here :)"

As the staff of Standard Notes seem to be successful with their business model, I'd love to see other open source projects adopt a similar strategy.