Then your argument about hiring the right talent is moot. You went with what you could afford and were fortunate with the result however paying $50 for a logo on eLance isn't great advice for other startups.
But if without trying, devs will never be able to make an satisfying icon (at least for me). We cannot stay there waiting for Apples to sentence the app's death.
It's still the art of balancing. Trying various ways in the beginning, and at some time point, we should tight up all kinds of resources and build up our own for key resources. Design is resources with key value.
Compared with criticism about copycat or intentional confusion, I like your constructive suggestion. We're a young startup and Padgram is our baby. We might not be doing well but we've tried the best. And we're sharing what we learned.