Run on boot then quit? I've tried searching around on various forums but can't find this answered anywhere. 

Is there a mechanism to automatically run an app on boot then switch back to the 'desktop'? 

Specifically I'm using the Squeezeplayer app which, when run, starts a service which listens in the background for connections from a Logitech Squeezebox server on the local LAN. But you can then leave the app and the service runs in the background. I'd be keen to start the app then jump back to the home screen on boot so that the listening service runs in the background.
There is such a mechanism, but it has to be done by the app itself: it's not a user-accessible control. You can tell apps that do this because it requires the permission "Run at startup".

An app such as Tasker can do this. It already uses the Android mechanism, and gives you a way to script actions to do on this and other conditions. Simply add a task that starts the app you're interested in and then goes to the home screen. Set that task to run on the "Device boot" event.