(Designer here) I like checking up what a product looks like when it's pitched as "beautiful". Mostly there are two ways to really meet that promise:

    1. Masterful application of a trend (Stripe, Raycast)
    2. Strong and recognizable personality (!boring, Notion, OG Basecamp)

Option 2 is the most accessible to small teams, but it's not an intuitive conclusion to draw. Both need an experienced designer to succeed, but option 1 sounds like it's a safe bet instead of a leap.

Most claimed "beautiful" products result from work done without the experience & taste to tell option 1 apart from an attempt at option 1.

In reality, you can pull off a strong personality and a clumsy execution, whereas following a trend clumsily looks like failing to read the room, and leaves you looking dated almost instantly.