Yes, these can be framed as concrete problems. But people usually don't start with much clarity in their thought, so it is unlikely that they will be handed to

Yes, these can be framed as concrete problems. But people usually don't start with much clarity in their thought, so it is unlikely that they will be handed to you in such a way. As for not producing a single concrete reason to try the new framework, there is no reason to believe that the manager didn't. According to the article the manager had just read a blog post on it, that caught the manager's attention enough to spark a conversation. SURELY there was SOMETHING in that article about why it might be a good idea to try React? We aren't told what points were made, likely because they seemed irrelevant. But I'd bet good money that some were made.