Buzz Anderson on attention to detail
While such attention to detail may not be appreciated in the specific case, however, I’ve found that in aggregate it leads to an overall impression of quality that attracts the kind of fanatically devoted users who form the backbone of a growing, long term user base. Shipping quality is a longer, tougher road than just shipping whatever to be first to market, and its benefits tend to be realized more slowly, but if you want users to love your software as a brand, and not merely use it as a commodity, it’s the only way.
Coming from the opposite end of the spectrum—the end user—I completely agree with Buzz here. With so many iPhone apps out there, the ones I keep coming back to are those that really nail not only the high-level functionality, but the small details. I try to look and find all the details in apps I use, but not being someone that actually creates these products, I don’t appreciate the full scope of what goes into it. I do think that as a user, even if you can’t put your finger on every element, you can tell a lot about an app and the work that went into it by these small, easy to overlook details.
[It goes without saying that Birdfeed does a great job here]
