Chills

Not at all. IF they want to expand in to the professional markets and eat adobe's lunch, then they will increase staff and investment.
As for proprietary code. That works both ways.

It is still a single point failure.
So no planning, no future road map. All this takes time and effort,  No sanity checks.
How long does a full regression test take?  

I have no idea but I do know it can't be a full-time job for him. As a one-man company he is Developer, test department, project manager, Accountant, Company Secretary, MD, Marketing department, Sales department and Webmaster.  Serif have multiple people doing most of those roles.     So whilst it is impressive what one person has done, it is also a single point of failure.
If a Serif developer gets hit by the proverbial bus, there are others that will carry on. (and the other roles are not affected)  If NumericPath Oy has *ANY* problem, the whole thing stops.   This is why there are several thousand obsolete and unsupported Linux Distros. All developed by one person or a couple of friends and when they find other things to do.... Actually it was the same with most Public Domain software from the 1980s  as the developer found other things became more important in their life the software stopped.
Actually I personally know of half a dozen companies of 1-4 people that stopped because the primary driver retired, found a better paid job, had an illness or a family problem.
NOTE I am not knocking NumericPath Oy, or his software, just stating the way of the world and the evidence I have seen for the last 40 years. Unless NumericPath Oy, becomes a multi person company or is bought out, I would not depend on his software.
The same is happening with Serif at a different level in that they now have a lot more resources and back up for development.   Though remember that Canva bought Serif because, primarily, it fits with Canva's plans Serif's plans are secondary no matter how much good will there was at the purchase. 

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

I have no idea but I do know it can't be a full-time job for him. As a one-man company he is Developer, test department, project manager, Accountant, Company Secretary, MD, Marketing department, Sales department and Webmaster.  Serif have multiple people doing most of those roles.     So whilst it is impressive what one person has done, it is also a single point of failure.
If a Serif developer gets hit by the proverbial bus, there are others that will carry on. (and the other roles are not affected)  If NumericPath Oy has *ANY* problem, the whole thing stops.   This is why there are several thousand obsolete and unsupported Linux Distros. All developed by one person or a couple of friends and when they find other things to do.... Actually it was the same with most Public Domain software from the 1980s  as the developer found other things became more important in their life the software stopped.
Actually I personally know of half a dozen companies of 1-4 people that stopped because the primary driver retired, found a better paid job, had an illness or a family problem.
NOTE I am not knocking NumericPath Oy, or his software, just stating the way of the world and the evidence I have seen for the last 40 years. Unless NumericPath Oy, becomes a multi person company or is bought out, I would not depend on his software.
The same is happening with Serif at a different level in that they now have a lot more resources and back up for development.   Though remember that Canva bought Serif because, primarily, it fits with Canva's plans Serif's plans are secondary no matter how much good will there was at the purchase. 

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

I have no idea but I do know it can't be a full-time job for him. As a one-man company he is Developer, test department, project manager, Accountant, Company Secretary, MD, Marketing department, Sales department and Webmaster.  Serif have multiple people doing most of those roles.     So whilst it is impressive what one person has done, it is also a single point of failure.
If a Serif developer gets hit by the proverbial bus, there are others that will carry on. (and the other roles are not affected)  If NumericPath Oy has *ANY* problem, the whole thing stops.   This is why there are several thousand obsolete and unsupported Linux Distros. All developed by one person or a couple of friends and when they find other things to do.... Actually it was the same with most Public Domain software from the 1980s  as the developer found other things became more important in their life the software stopped.
Actually I personally know of half a dozen companies of 1-4 people that stopped because the primary driver retired, found a better paid job, had an illness or a family problem.
NOTE I am not knocking NumericPath Oy, or his software, just stating the way of the world and the evidence I have seen for the last 40 years. Unless NumericPath Oy, becomes a multi person company or is bought out, I would not depend on his software.
The same is happening with Serif at a different level in that they now have a lot more resources and back up for development.   Though remember that Canva bought Serif because, primarily, it fits with Canva's plans Serif's plans are secondary no matter how much good will there was at the purchase. 

By no means extreme. Face it—VectorStyler is an impressive piece of work, but it’s in no way ready to be adopted by businesses. There's not even a company behind it. I can use it for the things Affinity can't handle in specific parts of a project, but after years of use, I’ve never once used it for a major project without constantly running into bugs and oddities—and you see them reported just as often and clearly as I do on the forum. They're fixed impressively fast, but apparently arise just as quickly. I gave VectorStyler several years of chance, but I've almost given up.
In any case, there's nothing behind it but one man, and it shows. VectorStyler deserves a better fate, but just like with Serif, far too few resources are paralyzing—though Serif at least has a company setup behind it.
An impressive one-man effort and loyal users doing free work isn’t enough—for Serif or VectorStyler. It’s hard to explain in a forum weighed down by people who have no insight into how software is acquired, deployed, used and selected by businesses—because they come from a very different customer segment. The one Serif tried to live off for decades, and never moved beyond. 
And I understand Serif’s fate more and more for the same reason. Companies create products that exist in the same altitude as their own mindset and expertise. With Affinity, you don’t get altitude sickness.

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

Whatever your preference may be, it doesn’t matter how it ends if Serif and Canva can’t deliver stable releases — and right now, they absolutely can’t, and Serif never could! You’re waiting for a stable 2.6, but it still hasn’t arrived with 2.6.3, and it might never get there, since more bug fixes are being pushed to version 2.7 — which is on track to be completely sabotaged by new bugs that, if nothing changes, will ruin the 2.7.0 release and future releases as well!
Just look at VectorStyler, which releases frequently — and breaks just as frequently. It’s commercially unusable and unpredictably unstable. Serif’s less frequent releases aren’t much better — they’re also full of new and old bugs. Many users cling to versions 2.4 and 2.5.7 just to get work done.
It’s no use giving 90% of your customers unstable products all year just because 10% of them are constantly craving their feature sugar fix. If Canva wants to reach an enterprise audience in today’s market, it’s not about playing at being a big company — but about being one, by building a company culture that doesn’t inconvenience its customers, and that genuinely strives for quality. And if their best isn’t good enough, then they need to hire and work toward making it good enough.
The more advanced features these programs gain, the more professional users Affinity attracts, and the greater Canva’s responsibility becomes for their satisfaction — because it will also shape their own brand’s reputation and revenue.
It’s all about quality — and any method that does not lead to quality is therefore irrelevant.
In other words, Serif needs to stop staring at its own feet and this forum — and instead look outward, toward the world and the market.

Because you never get stable software.  Adding in lots of small things requires a lot of regression testing for unexpected side effects. You never end up fully testing the system. Also, you have problems adding larger changes that take weeks or months to do if you are releasing every couple of weeks. It is an extremely inefficient way of working, and you rarely ever get bug free software.

The best form of communication is quality.

Exactly. "Whom" is the crucial point. 
Thanks. I’ll have to read that. The mention of Joel Spolsky is reassuring.
I see your book and raise you with:
https://www.idealsvdr.com/blog/worst-mergers-and-acquisitions-in-history-of-data-rooms/

Right for whom?  That is the Question.
To extend your point, this is a fantastic book  https://goodreads.com/book/show/1191767.In_Search_of_Stupidity
 

Knowing WHAT you're doing and doing the RIGHT thing are two entirely different matters. It reminds me of kids from my childhood who'd say to skeptical friends, “They wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t a good idea, right?”
And with that, allow me to present to all the remaining childish minds... reality - full of mistakes, misjudgments, and failures.
They might know what they're doing. Whether it turns out to be the right thing, we’ll see. I don’t see Affinity as a brand that can be saved. It’s been thoroughly driven into the mud in terms of how it’s perceived globally — turning that around would take miracles, massive investment, and a level of staffing that Canva would only justify if there were major bonuses in it. I don’t see it happening.

If you really want to get an insight about what Canva's audience is try Googling "Who uses Canva?" or the like. It is a surprisingly diverse group of users.

I read something recently, probably a description of the huge amount of computing power that went into the making of Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, that reminded me of the story about Thomas Watson, head of IBM at the time, stating in 1943 that he believed there was a world market for “maybe five computers”.

All of the above remind me of so many misguided and unfounded statements over the years. Man will never fly, a motor cars will never replace a horse, video discs then video tapes will kill cinema and movies. There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. The Internet is just a passing fad. People will never want to shop online, and so more.
C'mon, we all survived and have better tools that make our jobs and life easier, amateurs and pros.
And with all the money and ressources Canva have, they probably know what they are doing.

+1 for a Linux version of Affinity, Windows 11 is a total disaster and Adobe suscription is a robbery.

Im actually using Linux Arch and using Affinity in a VM, but that is so messy, a native version would be awesome!
 
And how about that Serif make a Crowdfounding for a Linux version if money is the problem?

If you go back far enough, only individuals who could hunt could eat. Now it's democratised to the point anyone can go to the supermarket or a restaurant and eat. 
That's progress. The same as expanding who can produce "good enough" graphics for social media or the local fair. 

Agreed on your first point. It is not a trivial thing to do it well. 
 
As for your second point: Yes and no. There are lots of tools out there but none of them seamlessly integrates in to Affinity like Adobe Bridge integrates  the Adobe CS suite. There are lots of near misses out there that people use and work around.  @loukash was promoting PixlPath but noted he had to use several other tools, from other places,with it.  It is interesting that Adobe then went on to do Lightroom in parallel to Bridge.  I suppose Adobe had a huge Photoshop market that never really used the other CS tools.  I don't know the split Affinity has between Photo, Publisher and Designer and people buying all three.   
If they added 30% on to the cost of the V3 suite to include a DAM how many people would go for it? 
If you only wanted one of Photo, Publisher or Designer  would you pay double to cost to get the DAM as well? 
For me buying all three the DAM added on to integrate and asset management is a no brainer.

Probably because they are currently at least two orders of magnitude smaller than Adobe Corporation and they therefore cannot do all the things that the Adobe does.
That said, there are already plenty of other competent non-Adobe softwares out there that can probably meet your needs.
 

So it is zero use as a DAM for affinity.
It needs to be on Mac and Windows (never mind the Linux debate)
It needs to be able to write/modify  (extended) Exif data, and IPTC metadata,  have a full hierarchical  IPTC key wording set up  that is modifiable and extendable. These are basics.   Note what is needed is a DAM that handles a LOT more than just photos. Like Adobe Bridge.  plus Lightroom hence my suggestion of Light-Bridge.