Here's my logic; tell me if I'm out of line:

1) As a user of my own product, I have a pretty good idea of what the first set of features users are going to ask for. I could release a simpler version, but since I know some additional features are important, I feel like I might as well implement them prior to the launch.

2) You tend to get a big spike in traffic right after launch. The better the site, the better that initial feedback is going to be and the more people who will convert. Why waste that large influx of traffic? Counterpoint: the people that make up that large spike of traffic are largely tech-geeks, who are not my target audience anyway so it doesn't matter.

1) You may not be scratching the itch you think you are. Users may love your software or they may hate it, but both might occur for reasons you never even thought about, because your users are different from you and may use it completely differently.

2) Don't launch. Seriously, a big launch event with PR and hype is overrated. Put it out there, get feedback, iterate based on that feedback, and do marketing and PR later. Here's a much better post on the subject:

http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2009/03/dont-launch.htm...

I have mixed feelings about listening to users. On one hand, I'd like to think that my vision for the app should lead me and that users are there to keep me on track. On the other hand, what good is a vision if your users don't like where you're headed? Put another way: as the developer, am I there to implement the users' collective vision or are they there to guide mine?

I think there's got to be some sort of healthy balance. You can't (and shouldn't) do everything your users want, but you need to listen to their feedback because in the end what good is business without any customers?

[Shameless plug] You can read more about our battles with this exact issue here:

http://mightybrand.com/2010/01/got-customers-part-2-the-one-...

I'm often shocked how obsessed everyone is with "getting user feedback so you can iterate".

In my experience, users have no idea what they want and the ones that do are usually just trying to get you to implement their pet piece of functionality that will make their lives easier (usually at everyone else's expense).

User feedback is good for validating your design and feature choices not driving them.

Embarrassment ruined them and few will ever give Cuil an honest second look, regardless of their future additions/improvements.

Or at least realized the concept was something the market simply didn't want (alternatively: hasn't wanted yet).

But you never heard anything because they never did anything worth talking about (relative to the other players in the field of course...)

People expect polished applications that are better than what they already have. If you're not proud of your product wait until you are to release it. Believe me, it will make standing in front of a room full of investors or potential users a much more pleasant experience and you'll be able to sleep at night.

  1) The developer never ships it
  2) When they finally do, no one cares

1. Obviously, this depends on what market you're in. Developers of avionics, for example, probably shouldn't follow this advice.

You can come up with a small, polished product with a few well-designed features to start off with (v1.0), which will impress the investors and early users. That'll get your cashflow going, and you can add more features along the way.

Also building software for your early adopters is usually a bad move. Typically this gets you a product full of corner case features that these users weren't getting in existing products. Unless it's a huge market you're probably painting yourself into a corner.

Maybe they expect that, but what they want is to solve a problem.

If it were to be released, I personally would pay for it and know many others who would also (in order to feed their development). But in its current (development) state I opt for something with backing assured.

Even Mac OS X doesn't match it in terms of usability.

If you're not willing to put polish on your 1.0 product, YOU FAIL IT.

And to take it even further, you're cherry-picking. Apple's products are usually polished, but not always. MobileMe? Or their first product:

http://www.landsnail.com/apple/local/design/images/computers...