This is an intriguing take on philosophy's relevance to the real world. Most folks would be inclined to dismiss philosophy for being irrelevant and counterproductive, especially if we're talking about academic philosophy.
Something worth considering is whether big-picture thinkers are likely to have an aversion to potentially selling out their vision by going mainstream and directly helping businesses. There's a perennial clash between mainstream cultures and countercultures, and I'd expect existential thinkers to benefit from having an underground status. The lack of business interests would help them purify their vision or their artistic and moral integrity.
Then again, if philosophy or an existential perspective isn't applicable to the real world, what's it good for?
