I almost completely disagree. To be fair, I don't doubt that there are companies use simplicity as an excuse for not adding value. At the same time, there are at least as many companies out there that pack feature after feature into their products, then find themselves asking "Why is no one using my product? It can do so many things!"
The fact of the matter is that simplicity is a value. I suppose one could argue that it's a somewhat overrated value. But for startups, it's the most important value. Startups simply don't have the time or resources to create complex products, at least starting out.
I think what Joel argues that you can keep things simple but keep adding features. Granted that's really hard to keep the balance but it's doable. Simplicity is hard, keeping it simple while adding new features is even harder.
> Startups simply don't have the time or resources to create complex products, at least starting out.
Completely agree. It's one of the easiest things that a startup can provide (assuming there's talent within the company who can deliver that simplicity. All developers know by now delivering simple and usable software can be really hard)
The fact of the matter is that simplicity is a value. I suppose one could argue that it's a somewhat overrated value. But for startups, it's the most important value. Startups simply don't have the time or resources to create complex products, at least starting out.