A bad launch can leave your project full of holders who are only waiting to get the fuck out. Someone buys the hype, gets smoked and decides the whole project is shit. From then on, every update gets measured against their entry price. You release a better product and all they're thinking is, “Can this get me back to breakeven?” The people who left probably aren't even seeing what you're building anymore. It's kinda fucked because you could be making real progress and still struggle to get anyone to give it a fair shit. Getting people excited creates expectations you'll have to live with long after launch. You need people actually using the product, getting something out of it and telling others why it's worth their time. It's tough, but it's better than being dumped on for eternity.