As they say, anyone can have an idea, the real test is being able to put that idea into practice.

I agree. Hence my statement that pure theory is wasteful.

I almost deal exclusively in observing the world outside and how my subsequent theories relate to actual users.

And that is the best form of research! See my concluding remark:

Instead, use your tower to have a bird’s eye view on the world! Study the world! But be humble about what you can do to transform it!

Consequently, as I perceive it you don’t have a theory unless it is an applied theory. In much the same way, you are only a businessman if people actually use or buy your products or services. As they say, anyone can have an idea, the real test is being able to put that idea into practice. I don’t see academics as being exempt from that way of thinking, your publications are your product, your teaching is your service.

There’s a continuum between pure theory and real application, and people are located all along the continuum. I started out on the pure end and have moved to the applied end. It would be interesting to speculate on the distribution of professionals along the continuum. Maybe it’s a bimodal distribution with relatively few people in the middle.

Professors help design the study and consult on theory, while practitioners bring the problems and discuss the viability of solutions.