I think you’re spot on — money and differentiation are the two cliffs most startups fall off.

A lot of founders underestimate how hard it is to get someone to switch to a new product. Unless you’re 10x better in a way that’s obvious, people stick with what already works. And as you said, being cheaper rarely moves the needle once something is in production.

The allergy to marketing is real too. Many teams think a good product will “speak for itself,” but in a crowded market, clarity and distribution matter just as much as the tech.

Your observations line up with what I’ve seen as well.