Honestly, you’re hitting on the exact thing that keeps most indies up at night. It’s definitely not just an excuse—it’s a massive structural shift in the industry. We’re in an era where 'Good' is the baseline, but 'Visible' is the actual hurdle.
I've seen so many talented devs treat marketing as an afterthought, but in reality, if you aren't a 'Content Creator' for your own game, you're essentially launching into a black hole. It’s exhausting because it requires a totally different brain than coding does.
One thing I’ve noticed helping people lately—especially those who hate the 'fake it 'til you make it' social media grind—is actually treating the business side like a skill tree. Instead of just guessing, some devs have been using platforms like