Why Did Big Tech Stop Building Useful Products?

Modern technology companies have shifted their focus from creating practical products that improve daily life to performative, futuristic demonstrations designed to secure high valuations. This trend, exemplified by Tesla’s impractical rocket-powered car and inscrutable AI benchmarks, stems from three primary drivers: the financial incentive to be perceived as a high-growth startup, the industry's obsession with engagement-driven metrics, and the inherent difficulty of designing genuinely useful consumer products. By prioritizing hype over utility, these companies create unstable investment bubbles and expose consumers to unnecessary risks. Instead of chasing speculative, disruptive technology, the industry should return to the foundational goal of building tools that solve real-world problems. Consumers can influence this trajectory by rejecting nihilistic engagement farming and demanding tangible, near-term improvements that provide actual value to their lives.