Is that really relevant here, though?

It is. That anecdote reminds us there are different kinds of demand:

1. apparent demand
2. latent demand

You are asking why we aren't meeting apparent demand. Part of my answer is that we are meeting latent demand at the cost of not meeting apparent demand.

It implies that you think the features I mentioned shouldn't be built.

Taken literally, I can see how that is implied. It's not what I meant.

isn't growth also about churn

It is and churn is about two things:

1. retention
2. attracting new people

On a relative basis, we are very good at retention and bad at attracting new people. So we should bias toward attracting new people.

Surely easier than trying to use the internet in a way it's fighting you?

I don't understand this one.