Right, which is why it's so important to define tiers.

For example:

1. basic support (cheap) - gen 2 speeds, charging at 5v 500ma, etc; for peripherals and whatnot
2. high speed (fast enough) - 5gbps speeds, charging at 5v 500ma, etc; USB drives, regular laptop/desktop ports, etc
3. fast charging (general purpose) - 5gbps data transfer, fast charging up to 45W (or maybe a little lower) at various voltages; phones, special laptop/desktop ports
4. specialized PD - gen 2 speeds (faster is optional), fast charging up to 240W at various voltages
5. specialized data - 40gbps data transfer, charging at 5v 500ma (faster is optional), display out

You'd use the same cable for 1-3, and specialized cables for 4 and 5, and those cables would have special markings on the connector. Ports for 3-5 would have unique markings as well. Cables and ports can go beyond those specs if they want.

Just because you can break things into separate groups doesn't mean you should. The goal here shouldn't be to make things easier for manufacturers, but to make things easier for users.