We've seen a lot of different business models over the last decade. Each new start-up comes in with different aspirations of world domination. And with each new company the idea of "simple" seems to permeate most conversations. "We're just like our competitor, but simpler." Simple, however, is not a product differentiator.
If you look at the
product adoption lifecycle, the vast majority of customers buy technology products well after the initial release of a product. To sell to this group, features must be well vetted and refined. But by the time you market to this group, early adopters will have already sold the benefits of the product. Selling "simple" is possible, but it's not a feature or proof point, it's a reflection of the implementation or refinement of the product.
When we hear the word "simple" at ZURB, we tend to look at it as something that solves the problem without all the other features — features that don't help differentiate the product. Without a clear differentiation from its 'more complex' competitors your product looks like it just isn't up to par.
You can sell simple, but not by itself.