Its easy to get lost in the foray of developing a new product, especially when adrenaline is high and exceptions are even higher. From time-to-time its good to take a step back and look at what your trying to accomplish. Remember basic economics: 'Incentives Matter'.

"If the benefits derived from an option increase, people will be more likely to choose
 it. Conversely, if the personal costs of an option increase, people will be less likely 
to choose it." (Gwartney, Stroup. 1993, pg. 3)

Ask your self two questions:
1) Is your product/service solving a problem?
2) Is your product/service making life easier?

The first question leads to the second; startups solve problems, but that doesn't necessarily mean life is easier. It's easy to get lost in the first and never ask yourself the second question.

During the Startup Empire Conference, a presenter summed it up like this:"is your startup a vitamin or a pain killer?" With all that is going on these days, you want to be a pain-killer. Solve a problem and don't create more work; don't waste time with solutions which don't meet these simple rules.

Design has a lot to do with making life easier, ask the users to do the least amount of work to get what they want. However, design isn't always the answer. If there is no incentive to use your product, if it requires you to do more work, then why would anyone come back?

Seems like an obvious point; but practice shows you its much different.

References:

Gwartney, James D. & Stroup, Richard L. (1993) What Everyone Should Know About Economics and Prosperity. Vancouver, B.C.: Fraser Institute.