The meta-observation based on comments here is that smart home technology has bad coupling between volume customers and early adopters, who may be opinion leade

The meta-observation based on comments here is that smart home technology has bad coupling between volume customers and early adopters, who may be opinion leaders. "Broken smart home" describes every smart home ever. If you don't believe that I have some used X10 light switches to sell you. Smart homes are a mug's game, but some smart home devices, like smart speakers, sell well because they do enough straight out of the box and the simplest level of integration with other devices is simple enough. If the EOL of Works With Nest troubles you, you are not the mass market. The mass market is delighted by being able to shout "Hey Google, where's my phone?" and save a few minutes of searching, and is unconcerned if in two years their Google Home Mini stops working.