thought about email
 

Many old platforms were closing, such as Excite, Tuffmail, Openmailbox.
But some new platforms are rising, including OnMail, Hey, Protonmail.
Email itself is not an issue, it depends on how you treat the email usage.

I run a couple of small businesses and email is my most used communication tool. Also vital for my personal communication. Going forward I see security and reliability being so critical that many smaller providers can't keep up. Personally, I don't need whiz bang new features. I want rock-solid security, near 100% reliability, and ease of use.

Suggests there is an active and competitive market.
Also supports the advice that a personal/custom domain is a good idea.

Indeed, what I have found is that some new providers are trying to differentiate themselves by having useless "cool" features before even achieving reasonable basic functionality.