This is a really important point that I think a lot
of people who aren't vegan don't get. There might
be an understanding that food is culture (lets order chinese,
or italian), but realizing that's not a culture you
experience but a culture you live.
The first thing many new vegans ask is "what do I eat now?" The replacement food comes first, and beyond hits the mark a lot more than seitan does because we don't culturally eat seitan.
And even more so, I think beyond has made it so an entire generation realized they could go vegan. A black bean burger just never hit the same way.