For one year, it was constant annoying discouragement. Then, once we had this party in my house and I showed it off to everyone and they finally realized its worth. To me, the privacy factor is alone worth doing this project.
It's not like that in my software life. Like databases are not as... neat to most people but everyone can appreciate something they can see and touch and control.
I've got a Google Home and LIFX bulbs, but I've also spent hundreds and hundreds of hours learning, tinkering and coding. I can do this because I'm single and am lucky enough to have a lot of free time.
If I was doing it again, I'd stick with the LIFX bulbs and use the hundreds of hours doing something that would earn me some money.
Then you can sell your hours over and over again.
My other friends are spending thousands of dollars retrofitting lighting and everything when they could spend a fraction and write some code.
And learn a skill. And not have their privacy invaded. And have more money they always complain about not having enough of.