I feel like modern bike companies are just clueless, and the industry is collapsing as a result.

People don't want "bike-shaped things", they want bikes that are affordable, reliable, can be easily maintained, have universal parts, and work as you would expect. Anything else is going to be niche and not what these companies need to survive.

I want to see major brands bring back the spirit of cycling from the 90s. Where parts didn't need manuals to maintain, and where you could swap things out without worrying too much about it.