But if we don’t self-destruct, how do we create value for shareholders?

It's just that they don't push their innovations down your throat.

Steam Deck had a bunch of cool tech launch both with it and soon after it launched, like Steam Input. If you don't need it, you don't have to know about it, but it's there if you do. Likewise, AMD GPU drivers got way better due to Valve investment. Steam on Linux was super buggy some years ago, and it had growing pains with Wayland. That's all working properly now.

And that's exactly why I like Linux over other OSes. My software quietly gets better without me doing anything, whereas on Windows or macOS, there's a big banner with stupid updates every time there's a major release. Or maybe that's because I'm on a rolling release distro, IDK.

But yeah, quiet, impactful improvements are the way to go. If things aren't breaking, they're doing their job.

worst pieces of software ever conceived

Oh you sweet summer child. You've clearly never used Peoplesoft, or the shovelware packed with printer drivers, or browser add-ons from the Netscape days, or the horrible CD burner programs pre-installed on PCs in the 90s...