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If a product isn't better for someone, people don't buy it. Marketing counts for something, but quality is still the most important factor in the success of a product. It just may not be the quality axis that's important to you, so it can seem arbitrary.

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What would you call cost cutting then? Clearly we are talking about the same things if we are talking about optimizing for shareholder value. I think its not controversial to see how consumer value has plummeted on a lot of goods especially in light of the idea of planned obsolescence and having generally more disposable products to sustain a black hole of a business model.

Cost cutting is usually driven by pricing pressure, and cheaper products are better.

Empirically, you are wrong. People do buy inferior products.

That are better for someone else.

Mostly for shareholders, because buyers were tricked.

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