A long time ago, an old friend of mine who had spent many years in academia, switched over to the private sector. After a year in a corporation I asked him for his impressions.

He said that in acedemia, much time and deliberation was spent searching for a solution to a problem, and the person who came up with the best solution was rewarded. Alternately, a corporation was like a game show, and whoever was first to spit out the most obvious solution was rewarded.

The first is how to achieve enduring progress, while the latter is how to place band-aids on a failing system.