"Obviously this is a crude planning hack,
but even if you only get a PC board out there
it will be unequaled and unrivaled on day one"

Totally agree.

Of course there would be a few upset, grumbling or complaining that what was promised was not delivered.
But blunt cold real world pressure tends to steer a creation...of any kind.
It is what we make of it....that is the big thing.
In a perfect vacuum with perfect conditions perfectly quantifiable ...
Everything always works out.

It is my perspective...my way of seeing things..
I have countless examples of work I have done that should have turned out exactly as conceived, planned and designed...yet the natural imperfections of say..a specific piece of wood or antler..or metal..screws it up for me...or the weather..or countless other natural factors I couldn't anticipate..
The trick is to make the flaw look like it not only was meant to be, but planned as well, so the flaw is therefore not a flaw.

I know what I said is a different scenario in many ways to what is going on with the neo project ...
But the rough premise is sound.

-Yes what was promised is what was promised, but for the sake of being able to eventually get said promises fulfilled it may be expedient to bend a little ...flex a little...to be able to get those stated promises fulfilled.
-If sourcing parts, getting enough preorders, getting enough manpower of specific skill sets, etc ..
-If the World and all the uncertainty and chance conspire against,
then I suggest a more tactical approach..
(and it isn't about releasing an unfinished or unfulfilled promise..)
but rather smoothly bend with the situations and if possible (I don't know how feasible what Theonelaw or I roughly suggest...)
do a pared down, scaled back..."pre-release release" so-to-speak...
as theonelaw mentioned..it will indeed be unequaled and unrivaled on day one...

But as well..I bet ...that then ...not only will more preorders come in for a neo...but you will be flooded with them...and also more individuals offering their particular needed skill sets..

Theonelaw is correct more ways than he said.
doing a pre-release release would be doubtless be not only more pragmatic at this time...but also more advantageous and tactically calculating to achieve the desired end result...
More help and preorders than you could shake a stick at...