Launching enables you to catch your competition by surprise so that they have to play catch up on your features. They also have to go after your customers and y

Launching enables you to catch your competition by surprise so that they have to play catch up on your features. They also have to go after your customers and your momentum, so there are two aspects of launch: revealing what was once secret, and publicizing that offering as best as possible - which is what a good launch should do -- and then also harnessing feedback. If one can't execute all those simultaneously, it's better to sit back and watch competition do it instead, and whilst doing this, it may or may not be advantageous to be public.