It is, but more customers at a time of historically high component prices will do it. If you set your costs assuming every user's hardware is $1, and your customer base doubles when the hardware is $2, you're going to have to raise prices for everybody

I'm reading Maintenance of Everything and it has a section about the switch from artisan-crafted weapons to making uniform parts that feels comparable to this.

French military had pioneered a way to make fully interchangeable weapon parts, but the French public fought back in fear of the jobs of the artisans who used to hand-make weapons. Over the next 20 years they completely lost their edge on the battlefield, nothing could be repaired in the field. Other countries embraced the change, could repair anything in the field with cheap and precise spare parts, and soon fostered in the industrial revolution.

The artisans stopped being people who made weapons, the artisans became people who made machines that made weapons.

I've had success with this! It required a little bit of an existing network. I always wanted to be in a band but never could, I was never invited. But I went to an open mic for a couple months, and just decided to .. start one. Invited people over to jam sometimes. Turned into a regular event, then turned into a band.

I've repeated this a couple times. Yeah, usually I have to do the bulk of the inviting and organizing. And yeah, it's uncomfortable being the "leader". But I know everyone enjoyed the time together. Those that didn't just never came and that's fine too.

You really can just do things!

Can you elaborate why? It sounds like we agree to me. People need access to good tools to curb use, and all else equal, open is definitely better than closed. I just am saying that I'd rather have an effective closed tool than no tool at all