IMO Modo is a good evolution of modeler, joined with some good things coming out from Maya, and other apps.
this being said, i think its not very distant from Lw modeler once an user feds it up with good plugins so far.
it also depends the way an user works. for example working with box modelling technique, makes things easier in Lw too.
working with edges and n gons in Modo is very good indeed, and base toolset seems to be very solid and consistent but being the app very young, many things, coming also from a Lw approach, are still missing and i’d like to see em in other updates.
edge slice, is still a weak tool, if you work with subpatch and few polygons
fix simmetry can be found on several plugs for lw also, as well as tools to cut the mesh in several ways , like jigsaw, quicksaw, and band saw. I’d check zbrush smart resym, and resym tools. they’re great and you haven’t to select anything.
needed features for modo, added in 1.02 but i’d like to see some evolution there in new updates
the maya preset for panning and working on the UI works quite fine, but it changes selection way to work. a good solution could be to be able to have a mixed solution .
default modo selection system, and maya panning/zooming/rotating system.and things like that. make us able to customize the app, mixing things!
complete mouse customization is needed as well.
bridge tool: u can find something good in Lw toolset too.
paste tool u can find it for Lw too. good , but not new.
cad files, dwg import is needed
some lighting opitions could be of help. better if u plan doing some lighs using real world parameters for archi viz work, if not in modo in other products you’re cooking. inspiration could come by Max. or Viz as well.
bone/rigging possibilities to test organic modelling could be of great help.
not only bones, but shapes wich could be used as deformers
a better and consistent layer editor, working similarly to somethinhg
like photoshop and other 2D apps wich use layers would be really fine.
with multiple layers grouping ,renaming and numbering possibilities as well-and of course collapsing, duplicating, merging options.this way you’ll exploit all layers possibilities
other cool advanced things are needed.
instances - this is very good in the case u’ll make an animation app, as well arendering engine too. however can be really helpful even now, making us able to update models on the fly to reimport em on our rendering app. Lw or whatever.
construction history
topology brush, like Silo , the cheap one.
pre built text files, like it happens to be in Lw
can be really helpful.
a good idea is to take a great inspiration of toolset u find in other apps
, just like C4D for mesh cutting and reworking, or XSI . it has some good tools
for modelling as well.
analyze em attentively and if u find they speed up things add them but most
important, improve ease of use of these tools as well.
Since i know your goal is to give us easy and powerful tools, the best thing is to know
other apps toolset very well, and develop using them as a starting point.
This way, Modo will grow better and stronger in time as it deserves. these things being said, I think you’re great and be able to make Modo the best one out there in a couple updates. 
