Setting up a load balanced system and front-end web cache brings "zero value" to end users? You may as well make the same argument over design or for that matter development.
Learning how to program a loop is a total waste of time which brings zero value to the end user. If I can hand that drudgery off to someone else, I'll be adding features and stealing your customers while you're giddy about nesting your loops.
Learning how to use photoshop is a total waste of time which brings zero value to the end user. If I can hand that drudgery off to someone else, I'll be adding features and stealing your customers while you're giddy about reducing your PNGs.
And both those statements are true. If there's a third party that you can pay to do your photoshopping, and they deliver high-quality product, damn right I'm going to hand my photoshop jobs off to them rather than do it myself. Likewise if there were a third party development shop _that delivered higher quality than doing it in house_. Concentrate on your USP; for anything else, if you can get it done competently externally, hand it off.
Learning how to program a loop is a total waste of time which brings zero value to the end user. If I can hand that drudgery off to someone else, I'll be adding features and stealing your customers while you're giddy about nesting your loops.
Learning how to use photoshop is a total waste of time which brings zero value to the end user. If I can hand that drudgery off to someone else, I'll be adding features and stealing your customers while you're giddy about reducing your PNGs.