I find smaller companies can have a more direct connection to their users, so the outcome is usually better UX. The disconnect from the user in enterprise software regularly results in poor UX, and the incentives to improve it just don't make their way to the people who need to hear them.

I hate it how UX is so much more important than actual funtionality. I blame Instagram, Apple and consumer apps in general for that.

I don't see why you'd split the two. Actual good functionality is UX. Lack of good functionality implies the user has a bad experience given the intended goal.

Big players tend to do the minimum, either attracting with shiny red herrings or barely doing anything at all. Both are bad UX.

From talking to actual end users though I am convinced there is no universally good UX. Someone will not understand it no matter how perfect you think it is.

Now I favor ugly but robust UX for business applications. The user doesn't have to love it, it's their job to use it. It just has to be efficient and comprehensive, not pretty

UX has onot little to do with the prettiness of a UI.