Shift kits.. do you really need one????

Put all of the parts in or don't put any in. There's been a lot of thought and testing into the kit. It's a system. I once had a guy come back to me complaining about the rotten kit I sold him and how it @#%^*@up his valve body. He ended up with 2nd, neutral, reverse, and park only. When I looked into the box he was returning, there were a lot of parts in it. I asked why he didn't install all of the parts as per the instruction sheet, and he told me his buddy (who wasn't a trans builder) said they weren't required. Unless you're a qualified transmission builder, or your "source of information is" and have an understanding of how the hydraulics work in a transmission why would you not install the kit as per the instructions. All kits work, some better than others, but all kit manufacteurs have spent a lot of time and money to make the kit work as it should.
just my $.25 worth
Sorry I don't agree, I think it's a better idea to understand how the trans functions and then select and fit the parts you need to allow the trans to function the way you want.
Just look at the Cup.. It's the perfect example of a piece that you may have to or not have to fit, It's also a piece that may not be the best size for your application or even the best way to reduce any bind up.. Because I see this as a fine tuning part, not just one you hammer into the hole and forget about.
Tell me Transman, have you ever just fitted a HP line pressure spring and drilled the sep plate on it's own? How much R&D stuff have you done on a Torqueflite with different springs and line pressures, pack clearances etc?