I'm going to assume that you have no background in business or commerce, which is understandable, most people on HN don't.
If people are not willing to pay for something, then it's a very strong indication that it has no economic value.
Almost by definition.
When people pay $4.00 for a Cappuccino, and are not willing to pay $1 for 'an app' - then yes - 'the app' is worth less (to them) than a cup of coffee.
Sometimes there can transactional friction, IP issues, regulatory issues which distort the market etc., but generally speaking 'price' is a very good proxy for value.
If nobody is willing to pay money for this guys product, then it is worthless, and he should probably stop wasting his time by volunteering his time to make something that nobody derives any value out of.
Those people using it would in that case obviously have something else they can use that is 'just as good', or, they just don't need it at all.
After all - if they will pay $1 for a Bic pen, and not this software, well, that doesn't bode well for how useful this software is for them.
But mostly likely, would rather seem that this software is quite valuable to many researchers. Which is good, because they would likely indeed pay for it, just as they would a pen, a book, their computer, their lab-coat, their eyeglasses, their calculator or their lunch.
If people are not willing to pay for something, then it's a very strong indication that it has no economic value.
Almost by definition.
When people pay $4.00 for a Cappuccino, and are not willing to pay $1 for 'an app' - then yes - 'the app' is worth less (to them) than a cup of coffee.
Sometimes there can transactional friction, IP issues, regulatory issues which distort the market etc., but generally speaking 'price' is a very good proxy for value.
If nobody is willing to pay money for this guys product, then it is worthless, and he should probably stop wasting his time by volunteering his time to make something that nobody derives any value out of.
Those people using it would in that case obviously have something else they can use that is 'just as good', or, they just don't need it at all.
After all - if they will pay $1 for a Bic pen, and not this software, well, that doesn't bode well for how useful this software is for them.
But mostly likely, would rather seem that this software is quite valuable to many researchers. Which is good, because they would likely indeed pay for it, just as they would a pen, a book, their computer, their lab-coat, their eyeglasses, their calculator or their lunch.