When the problem can never be resolved, you redefine the problem until you find a version of the problem with a good solution. So if the problem is that software is hard to estimate, which is hard, we redefine the problem to something like “I want to be able to ship something people want to buy, before we run out of money” or “I want to ship a game in time for Christmas” or “I want to reduce operating costs so we don’t drown in debt.”
Incidentally, the process of writing a software program is often the same process—redefining the problem until you find a problem with a good software solution, rather than finding a hard problem and throwing software at it until you die from exhaustion.
I think a lot about the effect that ad-driven business models and open source must have had on the propensity to spend money on software products. Both in terms of pricing and in terms of build vs. buy. Mostly because I’m always musing about software developers’ hard earned reputation as the cheapest customer demographic on Earth.
I think about it too, sometimes. You know all the jokes/anecdotes about Microsoft and Bill Gates specifically calling Linux users and open source devs "communists" and accusing them of destroying the software industry? To the extent they actually said this, they were absolutely right - open source culture is very much responsible for destroying the viability of a simple and honest "pay money in exchange for value" business model in software. This of course didn't make software free - the market switched to monetizing it with worse, end-user-abusing models, like SaaS subscriptions and "free, but with ads".
FWIW, I'm still enjoying, using and supplying open source, especially that as a power user, I can get a better deal on the whole thing. However, I think we need to recognize the unintended consequences this has, and that in a sense, we're ourselves responsible for the shitty and abusive industry we work in and live with.
Incidentally, the process of writing a software program is often the same process—redefining the problem until you find a problem with a good software solution, rather than finding a hard problem and throwing software at it until you die from exhaustion.