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There are at least two other possibilities. First, the problem may only have started to exist (or to become a real problem) in the relatively recent past. Carbon capture technology is a good example - 1000 years ago we didn't need to capture carbon. Maybe 100 years ago it would've been a good thing to get started on, but we didn't know the underlying problem was a problem yet.

Second, the problem may have existed for some period of time, but only recently has the technology developed to solve it. I'm sure when people had horses and buggies, some of them thought that it would be nice if they could just tell the horses where to go and then go to sleep in the back. That wasn't possible, and it similarly wasn't possible for early cars to have any kind of self-driving technology. Now we're at the point in terms of hardware and software that it at least appears to be a tractable problem.


Your first option is part of my first option - the problem developing recently is a possible explanation for why people lived without a solution in the past, but you still need to convince people its now a problem they need to spend their money on solving. As we can see specifically with handling climate change, that's easier said than done.

Your second option is part of my second option - some new technological development may allow you to do what no one has done before, but you must still convince people that you have this capability. As we see with self driving cars, many have claimed that hardware had reached the point it was achievable only to realize the problem is harder than they thought.

Did Otto Benz or Henry Ford need to 'convince' any horse and buggy owners or riders?

I can't find evidence that they spent any more than a small effort, less than a quarter of a year of full time marketing, before they got serious traction.

They simply built and offered a better and compelling enough product that little to no convincing was needed.

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