Even if Starship never carries humans (something I would debate you on) it would still qualify as a "marked improvement to private spaceflight capabilities". It may well clear that bar in a few months in fact, after they demonstrate orbital refueling in March[1] (or a bit later). All the other important parts (engines, heat shield, landing) have already been demonstrated as viable, and humans are a tiny percentage of all launches.

[1]: https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/01/