I have to be honest, when Path first launched their app last year I was dumbfounded: why would Dave Morin leave Facebook to create an app that was beautiful but didn’t appear to be all that innovative. Instagram had already exploded and the timing made it appear as though Path was nothing more than a copycat. Whether or not they were a copycat, the lack of major success made it clear that beauty alone can’t make applications succeed.

With their second version, it’s clear that the company is experiencing far more success. Their application has remained atop the iPhone leaderboard for well over a week and close to half of users are coming back daily. Whether or not they stick there, many of the people who were doubting Path last time are suddenly singing praises about it, myself included.

I know I’ve personally learned a lesson from watching Path knock it out of the park: don’t worry about what other people say, just execute on your vision. Following your gut is far better than following the advice of others.