In the early days of laser development, it was seen as a solution seeking a problem. A few decades later, it actually turned out to be really handy, but it would have been tough to sell this idea to anyone before that. Imagine how hard it is to find funding for research that solves a problem that doesn’t exist.
Solutions looking for problems is a mainstay in multiple industries from material science to chemistry. It’s not necessarily a bad idea.
In the early days of laser development, it was seen as a solution seeking a problem. A few decades later, it actually turned out to be really handy, but it would have been tough to sell this idea to anyone before that. Imagine how hard it is to find funding for research that solves a problem that doesn’t exist.
In development and science, sure. But this is a finished product on the market.
The principle is the same. “Let’s hope someone finds this useful.” It’s always a crapshoot.