This post reminds me of my own experiences with the "smartphone question." For years, I had derided smartphones for lacking a killer app. However, a recent conversation with several LW community members ultimately changed my mind, and now I consider my previous view to have been very misguided.

What I overlooked was that while there was no one "killer app" that provided huge value, there were lots and lots of smaller apps that provided small individual value. When taken together, they constituted a substantial overall benefit. My focus on the "one big thing" was causing me to miss out on a lot of potential value.