While I sympathize that the stakes don't appear to match up, I am talking about all software, and also taking into account the fact that these frustrations are numerous. It'd be one thing if it was taken in small pieces, small cracks in the stairs, but half of them are missing on average.

I really don't like missing stairs.

We're very removed from the usage of our software, and experience it in short-form (hopefully) actionable signals that we use to inform our development process. We don't get to appreciate the real pain in this "death by a thousand cuts" unless we can somehow switch bodies with a new user.

I see programming as a trade, however, and we do have the power to govern the quality of our software. There are, however, incentives, financial or not, that can get us to look the other way.