I'm frequently appalled at how few developers and UX designers actually use their products or think deeply about how real people use them. Things that should be intuitive and easy are arcane and complex. I have to frequently turn to Grok to ask "How do I use this thing? What is this feature? What does it do?"
Spotify gets more powerful all the time, but the UI has become incomprehensible in many ways. And the UI on my iPhone is very different than the UI on the web.
So many companies are inserting useless junk and clutter up front that you have to dismiss before you can use the app. It's receptive junk that I just don't want to see. It seems to be part of their incessant "monetization" efforts, even for paid "premium" subscribers.
It's like when you call a company for help with something and every 45 seconds their damned IVR says "Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line. Due to heavier than usual call volume, our response may be delayed." while making you listen to execrable noise they call "music."
Always start from the premise that the best interface is no interface.
The FR site is a good example of this. It’s basic, but it works.