So two teams build identical databases in identical time frames. One becomes popular and has sells in millions of dollars. The other flops, with sells in the hundreds of dollars. Sure there is a difference in business results but I fail to see how the two teams were not equally productive at creating software. Sure I don't have a good definition of software development productivity but this is open to so many non software development productivity elements as to be nonsensical.

Basically I see this as marketing. We may not be the fastest but who cares about that we have the special insight to build the hits that keep you in business.