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.