> 1. Software does not make money. Not ever. Sales makes money. Software only costs money. When your developer peers get confused, distracted, or lost on this matter you better hope your employer is either too big, too stupid, or too wealthy to care.

I feel like people exagerrate this idea to prove a point that, ultimately, sales is the gateway to money. Which is fair and important to keep in mind. But, worded like this, it goes too far. Sales and marketing do cost money. They can cost a lot of money, and it's not always as tangible as real product features. Non-marketing people tend to handwave away how hard it can be.

And the product is important. It's much easier to sell a product if it has the features a client is looking for. To do otherwise is a whole different game that will also cost a lot of money but is feasible given certain conditions. For example, building a really strong brand where trustworthiness is more important than price/quality.