Is there any value from "coming soon" placeholders?

I think "coming soon" gives a certain "marketing" feel, that has a place in some brands, and doesn't have a place in others. I seen companies like Higgsfeild AI which wihtout a serious technical moat are going a little crazy with marketing (I guess brand as a moat? but we'll see how that pans out). Coming soon fits in with thier flash sales and crazy BOGOF style promo. For other brands with more sensitive subject matter than AI ads, might not fit as well.

I'd say the correct answer is, as usual, "it depends".

If the "coming soon" message is framed as a marketing tease and the features are indeed delivered as they've been promised then I don't see a problem. OTOH, if the "coming soon" message itself looks like a poorly styled afterthought then, of course.... just leave it out and rethink the rollout.

Ultimately, "ugly" is a matter of presentation and perception.