Really, what I learned from this is that people don't focus on solving problems, but covering their own ideas/interests, which are somewhat misguided. I can change the circumstances (software instead of mining, servers/people instead of equipment) and it looks like any number of situations I've been in before that could be solved, if the people actually wanted to solve it.

Sure, think of the impossible. But really, it's hard to get people to do what they admit they believe to be impossible. Not because it's impossible, but because they simply don't want to do it (and will undermine it at the next possible opportunity).