First of all, we’re talking about a combination of email, XMPP, and Cryptpad docs.  So the XMPP/SimpleX and Cryptpad are genuinely encrypted, and the email prevents against passive surveillance.  You can not honestly tell me that trusting random strangers for XMPP chat is better than self-hosting.  We deliver value by configuring all of these services to run a single 1 core VPS.

Your criticisms of ALL email are valid, but that doesn’t mean that controlling the software doesn’t offer stronger self-sovereignty and control over your communications, data, and accounts doesn’t have a leg up over just purely trusting proton.  Proton is a bigger risk for passive surveillance with it all being scanned, while as a VPS they have to go out of their way for it.