Solving a problem a second time is much more profitable This is compatible with the OP's point - hackers often look for novel solutions, not necessarily novel

Solving a problem a second time is much more profitable This is compatible with the OP's point - hackers often look for novel solutions, not necessarily novel problems. But the terminology here is very uncertain - problems and solutions interact in very complex ways: the "assembly line" solution solved the "horse shit all over the roads" problem. Google Wave might end up solving the problems which ORM's and databases are solving - that of storing and synchronizing data structures across machines.