I think it's likely that SpaceX recognized that FAA approval could take a while, so they started putting more polish into the launch infrastructure, booster, an

I think it's likely that SpaceX recognized that FAA approval could take a while, so they started putting more polish into the launch infrastructure, booster, and ship, rather than just trying to iterate on launches as quickly as possible. But that's just a hypothesis from an armchair observer, I'm not sure if they could have rushed launch pad readiness any further. I've also heard rumblings that there may be regulatory issues with the ground storage tanks for fuel/oxidizer that may require changes.