I am like you in being drawn to lesser known companies and that was one of the factors when I got my Flaanimal earlier this month. My complete build directly from Rodeo Labs with a Shimano 105 hydraulic groupset, Easton EA50 cockpit, WTB Nano tires mounted on Easton EA70AX wheels and setup tubeless, and Praxis Alba cranks came in it $3200 shipped. I feel like this build is all I can ever ask for from a bike and it is significantly less than the original $5k you mention.