In a Steve Jobs interview from years ago, Jobs decried that ‘we no longer have secretaries’. By which he meant—the invention of desktop publishing with its easy and forgiving interface, simple editing and layout had (and has) let the executives and managers of the world create their own documents, unaided.
Even further back, we can note that the job of "computer" has been replaced by machines called computers. "Computers" were once people who did routine mathematical operations for science and engineering, like those at NASA, until electromechanical and electronic computers were invented.
Even further, we are reminded of the telegraph. The telegraph was a huge success in business, outracing the post. When the telephone was invented, it was dismissed as a toy, but it allowed more people to communicate using familiar, and richer, language. Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer of the British Post Office: "The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys." Well, we don’t have messenger boys now, either.=
Pixar’s computing prowress improved phenomoly year over year. But Monster’s Inc wasn’t made in half the time, or at half the price of Toy Story. Instead, the animators were able to make richer and expressive animation.
Great products are ones that help people get closer to expressing, iterating on, and communicating an idea.