I might be an overly conservative old fart, but there was a time not so long ago, where your success wasn't depending on the UI decision (or any other decision)

I might be an overly conservative old fart, but there was a time not so long ago, where your success wasn't depending on the UI decision (or any other decision) of a corporate overlord. Back then, you made a product and it was immediately available for all the world to use. Yes, you had to spend some time/money/effort for promoting it and yes, the success might have been dependent on your ability to promote it. But you didn't have to ask for permission to build it and there was no way to get screwed because the UI design of an entity you have no control over has changed slightly from one day to another. I think it's a real shame that these days seem to be over more and more.