I heard this interesting tidbit a while ago that fits your sentiments perfectly. Can't remember who to credit it to, unfortunately.
Software is really about codifying process -- pun completely intended. What happens is some slick new software comes along that implements that happy 80% path on the process, and does it quickly and efficiently. Then business complains about the 20% falling into the gap, and starts adding features to reduce that, thereby slowing down the processing. This keeps going, until someone has an idea and implements slick new software that implements that happy 80% path on the process, and does it quickly and efficiently...
Or people learn and see that they can make a happy path of 90%. Or the business removes an implemented unhappy path of 5% that fails 50% of the time. Or the business introduces a new unhappy path to go with the times or times just change and the happy path is now only 50% of the cases.
You're completely correct. Software needs are easy and hard, and times change.