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First off, I want to thank everyone for the ideas. Just so you know, the problem we are having isn't a technical one. I feel that our application isn't getting 'the love' it would get if I wrote it myself. Our service providers rely on us to find problems instead of being proactive. To summarize - there just isn't the sense of ownership that drives quality. The problem isn't going away, so that is why I thought we might be doomed.

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I really think this is the key point and problem. If the people doing the heavy lifting aren't either passionate about the product or actually using it on a daily basis, you will suffer.

I don't think you're doomed, but as a programmer, I've both had startups and been brought into ones that have been outsourced. In my experience, those little things, the fit and finish, just aren't there when the people building them are in it for the paycheck.

At the risk of sounding cliched, it's kind of like the old adage about people who are fighting for their home vs. a paid soldier. You will get a lot more fight from the guy defending his home than the mercenary.

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