[elmo2you]

I think we can "thank" the popularity of the startup business model (and the prolific idea/delusion that this is where innovation takes place) first and foremost for that.

Personally, I've rather just seen an increase in deception and questionable investments (of money and other resources), compared to more traditional approaches. I'd even go as far as to call most of the startup based industry "Smoke and Mirrors Inc", but that might be a bit on the cynical side.

Still, securing more investments for "potential" solutions (more like regardless of actual feasibility) appears to have become a higher priority than actually showing/proving that something is an improvement (by any measure besides the financials gains for early investors).

EDIT: While this sure does not rule out the possibility of true innovation and progress, I can't say I'm impressed with the actually success ratio. Combined with the amount of downright deception I've seen, usually without legal consequences (let alone penal ones), I wonder if the net sum is even a move in the positive direction.