Think about it this way, unless your research is something you could write a scientific paper on and have it published in a peer reviewed journal, it will not qualify.That's not true at all. In the US, at least. As a tax lawyer, I've had to have this conversation quite a few times with accountants who misread the law and don't think it applies to their clients.
The US R&D credit has 4 basic requirements, and "cutting edge" is not one of them, nor has it ever been.. Generally (broadly paraphrased), it is sufficient that the R&D result in new (or improved) functionality, etc. of a business component (specific to the taxpayer), in a systemic process of a scientific, engineering, or computer-science nature.
For example, a game developer developing a new game engine would qualify for the R&D credit; as would a retail company developing an improved inventory system. (The latter is in fact one of the examples that IRS employees give at tax seminars.)
The real issue with the R&D credit isn't claiming the credit; it's supporting the amount claimed with proper and sufficient documentation. It's the documentation part that gets most taxpayers, since the R&D credit is one of the areas that the IRS still devotes resources to auditing.
Further edit: by the way, Gusto's article is about the new small business R&D credit from the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act (PATH) which went into effect for the 2016 tax year. The original credit is limited to taxable income, so you couldn't use it until you had profits or if you were subject to AMT. The new credit applies against federal payroll and AMT.