What we removed
Yesterday we removed Gmail from our integrations page. The code works. The feature is built. But we can't ship it yet.
Here's what happened, and why we think it matters.
The situation
Google requires OAuth apps that access Gmail to go through a verification process. It's a security measure — they want to make sure apps accessing your email are legitimate.
We started the verification process. It takes time. In the meantime, we had two choices:
- Keep Gmail on our integrations page with a note that says "coming soon" or "in beta"
- Remove it until it actually works for everyone
We chose option two.
Why it matters
Dieter Rams' sixth principle of good design is: "Good design is honest."
It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
— Dieter Rams
Showing Gmail on our integrations page would be dishonest. If you clicked "Connect Gmail," you'd hit a wall. That's a broken promise.
"Coming soon" badges are marketing speak for "we haven't done the work yet." They create expectations we can't fulfill. They make the product seem more capable than it is.
The easy path
The easy path would be to leave it up. More integrations looks better. Gmail is a big name. The page looks more impressive with eight logos than seven.
But that's optimizing for first impressions over actual experience. It's prioritizing marketing over trust.
We'd rather have a smaller, honest list than a bigger, dishonest one.
When it comes back
Gmail will come back when the verification is complete. When you can actually connect your account and it actually works.
Until then, we're not going to pretend.
Honesty is easier to maintain than marketing.