I don't think this is the right framing, because I think it confuses the means and the ends.

Its like making a jig in woodworking. The measure of the jig's success is not whether it gets re-used or widespread adoption, its whether it made it easier to achieve some actual objective. Because the jig is a means to some other end.

Lots of these "we wouldn't have done it otherwise" applications are means, not ends.