I think that's a solid concept, even though it's a more nerdy restatement of a marketing truth that's ages old. Products are functions because people buy what things do for them, not what things are.
In other words, people buy benefits, not features.
Of course, the next step is to realize that (at least sometimes) it is not about what the product objectively does for them that drives the purchasing decision, but rather how the product influences their own self-perception.
In other words, people buy benefits, not features.
That's marketing in one lesson for you.