In reply to Matt.

I've heard this argument for some time -- what Jetpack typically does is provide a base level of functionality that's enough to get people started and going with, but if they want to really dig into it, they may need to grow past what Jetpack provides.

For example: Contact Forms.

Jetpack provides Contact Forms, but it's a limited implementation. There's a lot of form stuff it doesn't do. I don't think anyone's going to argue that it's a true competitor to Gravity Forms or Ninja Forms or whatever the latest one is -- because it's not. It's a base level of functionality that plays nicely with others and is actively maintained -- enough to get folks started, but easy to grow out of.

By providing that base level of functionality, we're making it easier for the user to stick with and invest their time, money, and energy into WordPress as a platform, so they're more likely later to see a commercial plugin purchase as a worthwhile addition when they need repeater fields or custom field types or SalesForce integration or something that Jetpack's contact forms don't offer.

Jetpack tries to go broad but shallow. We do a lot, but none of what we do is all things to all people. That's where commercial plugins that offer those tailored experiences can really shine.

In my opinion, anyways.