Not only that, but it also stems from "management" or "customers" unable to contemplate tradeoffs in the design. The reason FPGAs and RFSOCs are pushed so much

Not only that, but it also stems from "management" or "customers" unable to contemplate tradeoffs in the design. The reason FPGAs and RFSOCs are pushed so much in certain industries (we all know which one) is because the customer wants everything reconfigurable because they can't make decisions now, or in most cases, not competent enough to make decisions now. However, they are OK with buying a $25K+ FPGA or RFSOC which is why the market is there and also why few understand the actual art of RF design and radio architecture anymore. RF budgeting is almost non-existant. Most Jr. engineers have never seen a level diagram and the only places you will find them is in old watkins johnson app notes. SDR design is ultimately a race to the bottom in most cases in terms of good design but not necessarily cheap design.