If you had to pick one: usefulness, differentiation, or messaging?

Question for the class: if you had to pick one of the following to start with, which would you choose:

• A genuinely useful product

• A differentiated product

• Or strong messaging around usefulness/differentiation

I’ve seen apps hit #1 with nothing but a killer marketing message—even when the product itself felt thin. I’ve also seen products in crowded categories break through on sheer value, with almost no messaging polish. And then there are products that stand out by offering a totally new way of doing things.

To me, the real tragedy is when a great product never finds its audience, or never gets a fair shot to deliver value. But at the same time (and I say this as a marketer), I know marketing can only carry you so far if the product isn’t there.

So I’m curious—what do you think the right balance is?

Which of those levers actually gives you the best shot at traction, here on Product Hunt and beyond?