IslandPitch.in
The Locked Cashbox
A café owner is dazzled by a glittering all-in-one platform — then can't get her own data back out.
The Bazaar of Shiny Things. Every stall glitters. Every demo solves everything in ninety seconds.
Sign here, friend. Discount ends Friday. Don't read that part — it's boring.
Two years later, Dev wanted to switch. The Cashbox had other plans.
I just want to export my customers and recipes. Why is there no button?
There's never a button.
Captain Marisol's voice came in over the harbor radio.
Ahoy, Dev. Before you ever buy again, ask the seven questions. The first one that matters here: can you get your data out, yourself, in a usable format? Test it before you trust it.
IP Bot found a documented export buried three menus deep — and a plan to leave.
Own your domain. Own your data. Insist on standard formats and an exit path. A tool you can't leave isn't a tool — it's a cage.
Dev migrated in a weekend. The Cashbox stayed locked — but she had the key copy.
Buy on purpose, captain. Count the three-year cost, not the sticker. Now go reach your pitch.
The lesson
Demos dazzle; contracts trap. Before you buy, run the seven questions — and make sure you can export your own data and walk away.
Ready to reach your Pitch?
You don't need a full-time CTO to do this right. Island Pitch works as your Fractional CTO — senior technology leadership at a nonprofit's budget, helping you choose well, lock the doors, and sleep at night.
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