I mean, the problem is the website is designed as if it's trying to hide something from me. Giving the benefit of the doubt, I don't think that's the case, but my, and I think many other's tuned "Something scammy on the internet is going on" alarm bells are going off. So I think that's why the criticism is so harsh.
And generally Show HN's posts are taken as a request for constructive criticism, which I think most are.
Specifically, those two tubes that fade into the darkness is just begging for an explanation.
I think I did make a mistake in not having the product in more real life environments. My kitchen is not very pretty so I set up a little photo area to capture all the images and video. Now I will find some kitchens to borrow.
I would love to see the machine in a messy kitchen, where it is used to actually make coffee. Because to be honest, looking at the picture, it looks more like a decorative object than a functional coffee machine. Seeing it in its natural environment shows that it is the machine you use to make your own coffee (you do, right?), give some practicality.
To be fair, no one does that, it is not how marketing works, I guess. But here, it is not a regular espresso machine where we can immediately see how it works because we have already seen dozens of them, so a more practical shot saying "it is doesn't just look good on the countertop, it has a function, and that function is to make coffee".
But just from a practical consumer perspective. I want to know more about what the tube and power cable connect to. Since this is designed to be a new novel "compact" espresso machine, I would have higher standards in that regard compared to more conventional machines.
You obviously invested a lot in this product. I think that maybe renting a high end kitchen and bringing a professional photographer would go a long way!
You might need to give something away to make it happen, but an oddball request to an owner selling their nice home would probably work out, even if it took a few tries to find the right fit.
And generally Show HN's posts are taken as a request for constructive criticism, which I think most are.
Specifically, those two tubes that fade into the darkness is just begging for an explanation.