Used to underestimate Kpop's reach, but not anymore.

Totally get where you're coming from. I used to think everything was plug-and-play, but @miaperez's point about protocol research is spot on. In my setup, a Z-wave lock wouldn't talk to my Nest without a dedicated hub. Now I always verify if devices use Zigbee, Z-wave, or Thread, which saves so much frustration later.