Can we stop pretending that it’s the free market that drives innovation, when in nearly every case it’s publicly funded research that gets everything to the 1 yard line? Crypto may be the only exception…

I make rockets IRL.
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Soldier once upon a time.

not disagreeing (railroads, telecoms, vaccines) but there's plenty of examples like iPhone (smartphones), personal computers, Amazon (eCommerce).

Of course your counterpoint is going to be drilling down some publicly funded service that was needed for that private company to make their breakthrough.

Hoarder of tokens, master of fading generational wealth. 
3rd Cycle. Crypto Sleuth. 

Yep, that’d be my counterpoint all right. None of those products would have been developed without DARPA.

Other industries completely reliant on government r&d: all pharmaceuticals, aerospace, automobiles, pesticides, green energy, etc

Now there are definitely innovations in the free market. My point is that they are iterative and almsost entirely driven by government research that the private sector cannot or will not fund. 
Government research-> breakthrough-> paper detailing results/applications-> private sector builds it and brings it to market.

->ceos profit->ceo balks at tax bill->ceo becomes libertarian and refuses to recognize the conditions leading to success.