I have an anecdote to counter your anecdote - I have worked with a company whose apps have been regularly featured in the App Store (and beyond) due to extensive legwork by our (extremely competent) marketing folk.

The fact that the apps were incredibly well-made didn't hurt.

And this underscores the whole point - success is a probability function, it is hardly ever guaranteed. The author seems to blow this out of proportion though, and suggests the common refrain that one should just give up/get out of the game. This ignores the innumerable things you can do to improve your own odds, that others aren't doing already.

A large part of that is to make sure that your product/skill is actually good. But that is incomplete.