Build It And They Will Come vs. Sell, Sell, Sell

OK, that's not really a fair way to characterize it.  But Ian Muir, one of the developers at CustomScoop, poses an interesting question and starts a thoughtful dialogue:

What’s more important; making money or making good software?

In the comments, I argue that it isn't really an either/or question:

Sales and product are very much interdependent. You simply cannot have one without the other. Even the best salesperson can’t acquire — and as important, keep — clients if a product stinks. And no matter how good a product you create, there are precious few examples where companies have successfully followed the Field of Dreams style “build it and they will come” philosophy.

But there's a lot more to the discussion, so I encourage you to check it out and leave your thoughts over on Ian's blog.  Since I blog about the interesection of marketing/PR and technology/innovation, I find it to be an especially intersting topic, and I think you will too.

Technorati tags: Ian Muir, CustomScoop, sales, product development, marketing, management