TL;DR aka Readers Digest
The thing to remember is that it doesn’t have to. A product “sucks” because there’s an inherent opinion in any descriptor used to describe it. A product actually sucks when it’s cart is in front of the horse – having an opinion about it is not the same as doing something about it. You’d be amazed at what can be accomplished when ego’s are set aside and people align in a common direction to actually achieve a goal. It sounds obvious, but I bet most products that suck had less to do with what was trying to be achieved and more about how it was set out to be made. Putting a cart in front of a horse isn’t thinking outside the box, it’s a lack of foresight.
Unabridged Version
A product sucks because the word “suck” is ambiguous and ambiguity is the nail in the coffin. You may have an amazing product, but if your product is being judged by a scope outside its intended purpose then your amazing product is destined for failure. Creating an obvious definition for what product is meant to do into every facet of the product will focus that scope.
Permanent success cannot be achieved except by incessant intellectual labour, always inspired by the ideal.
— Sarah Bernhardt
Or in this case, clarity. Clarity should always be your ideal. Lean methodology removes this ambiguity and generates clarity. These practices have been vetted with the rise of the lean agency in place of traditional agencies. If ever it has been your misfortune to be a part of something you felt was destined to fail it is more than likely because a lack of clarity, whether that was at the vision, execution, or scope level.
This clarity will create focus, this focus will create synergy, and this synergy will drive the engine of your success. It is a fundamental, a fundamental is simple to know, any fool can know. The point is to understand.