Indiscriminate addition of virtual items also leads to lost monetization opportunities due to the production scheduling. Not all virtual items are created equal. Some monetize better than others due to user appeal and the point in game flow at which they enter. By using constrained developer resources to create and launch virtual items indiscriminately instead of basing decisions on virtual items testing, developers lose the opportunity to maximize monetization.

Sana Choudary aka @traffichoney is sharing her take on the top 5 mistakes to avoid in social game development. With the experience I have, I do not necessarily 100% agree with all of items on the list, but the above quote is very true. It is also a team management issues - the features and items that developers in your team would like to implement are not necessary the ones that drive business in the most efficient way. Learning social game development, especially with a background in 'real' game development, can be quite a leap outside your comfort zone in prioritizing things.