100% this is it in a nutshell.
Anyone can potentially make GOTY but it will never achieve that because if nobody knows about it then nobody can play it.
That's why I just do it for fun and don't monetize anything because to be successful you have to chuck money at advertising like money is going out of fashion, then to expand you need to hire people. A typical indie dev wants to make games, they don't want all the stress of paying people, adhering to employment laws and business practices.