Re: "If it ain't broke..."
The changes to the start menu from Windows 95 to Windows 7 were all small and logical. In each case, it was not too difficult to learn because the change wasn't drastic and the way it was done made it easy to learn.
Then along comes Windows 8. The change was drastic and illogical. Worse, it was a UI meant for small touch screens, not large non-touch screens. No wonder it was unpopular. All we wanted was the start menu from Windows 7 - which you could customize and make it look like the one from Windows 2000 if you wanted. What we got was a mini version of the Windows 8 start screen for Windows 10.
And, not surprisingly, I find the Windows 11 start menu even worse. Stuff that was once a short distance away with large, easy-to-find words is now a long distance away with small, hard-to-understand icons. And what is there? Pinned apps, which default to apps that are good for Microsoft's wallet with a few useful ones thrown in. It is like Microsoft asks everyone about a start menu, except for their customers and people who understand smart UI.