Why do humans create useless products and services? Looking through history books you will find so many products and services which proved to be useless for most people. If society cannot benefit from something it is useless, no matter how impressive it is.
In the West we laugh when we hear about the follies the former Soviet Union produced to keep their people happy. I remember hearing about a large bolt (like in nuts and bolts) built by workers in one factory. The point of designing and building the bolt was not for productive purposes but as a display. Managers had workers use sparse materials to build something that no one could use.
Of course, you can make the same judgment of some pieces of art. But at least artists declare their intent by creating something that has a lasting value. No doubt someone with an untrained eye for art would question this logic, declaring “yuck†when viewing a piece of sculpture made from metal parts or other materials. However, we need to look at artists’ aim, and see if it serves society as a whole. Similarly, we need to look at the purpose the managers in the old Soviet empire had when they decided to build the bolt.
First, the Soviets at the factory built the bolt to prove their superiority over other factories. It is the “we can build a bigger bolt than you” attitude. Artists, on the other hand, create work which has lasting value, and a probable resale value.
You would think responsible managers will use production capacity to create products that at least have a resale value. So the Soviets built the mammoth bolt for showing off rather than economic gain, and in the end didn’t contribute to society as a whole.
So before you decide to make anything, examine your purpose.