So he has a marketing message: "we purchase on features", and we "equate apparent [...] complexity with power'. His solution is spot on: give the appearance of

So he has a marketing message: "we purchase on features", and we "equate apparent [...] complexity with power'. His solution is spot on: give the appearance of power (for purchase), but make it actually simple-to-use (for use.) He also mentions users' "favorite features" (it's well known that we don't like having to change our behaviour, even for the better); and "“critical” features" (sometimes they aren't actually necessary; and sometimes, as Joel says, "everyone uses a different 20%" - Linus has also said this). An example of the latter, and as people have said here, is when really do need to customize a default behaviour. Love Joel's linked comment on bootstrapping: So you sell "simple" as if it were this wonderful thing, when, coincidentally, it's the only thing you have the resources to produce. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/12/09.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/12/09.html