I come from a marketing background, so I guess I'm both numb to and guilty of that kind of text. But I don't see how "most elegant" or other superlatives are different from "best for X" though. Both are equally difficult to prove, both may be completely subjective and contingent.
I like the kid in the superman costume analogy for startups and big ambitions. I'd cheer him on. If he believes it he'll try to act the part, so the more I'll be inclined to believe him, too (though I might stop him from trying to halt a truck).
> I don't see how "most elegant" or other superlatives are different from "best for X"
I've already argued about this way too much but let me give you an example : P
If I asked you what are your strengths, what distinguishes you as a person, what would you say?
Now if you're like a normal person, reasonably modest and yet confident of their merits, you might say you're an ambitious person who's serious about their goals but knows how to have fun, you're an excellent communicator and listener, you're a good friend and you bring a genuine passion to everything you do.
You'd come across as a really cool guy.
Now imagine if you just crossed your arms, assumed a smug grin, and said, "well, I'm the best".
What do you think people would think of you if you did that? Well I don't know about you but I'd grin and nod and think "this guy is a fuckin' douchebag".
I'm not trying to say I think every marketer who ever wrote "X is the best Y" is a douchebag; I'm saying that claiming to be "the best" is a very, very big claim. Coming from a giant of software it would be questionable; coming from some tiny unknown startup it is simply laughable.
Stick to pointing out your merits, strengths and focuses. Don't make a claim to be all-categories, all-uses, undisputed best thing in the world. You are almost certainly not, and to this engineer, it raises questions about what kind of person would even make such a ludicrous boast.
I like the kid in the superman costume analogy for startups and big ambitions. I'd cheer him on. If he believes it he'll try to act the part, so the more I'll be inclined to believe him, too (though I might stop him from trying to halt a truck).