Time is money. Yes, really. If there was ever any doubt about this, then the recent valuation of private driver app Uber at an eye-watering $18 billion should set the record straight. While some business commentators describe this massive figure as a crass over-inflation, there is good reason why Uber may well be worth every buck. It’s because the app saves time. Just click, wait (inside if you like) and your driver is there. No more loitering on street corners or trying to work out which side of the road will present an empty taxi first. In offering such a simple and helpful service – at a very modest price – Uber saves its customers an awful lot of hassle.

Uber is not the only digital development that’s wiping away wasted moments. Many of today’s soon-to-be-hyper-valued start-ups are taking a similar approach to solving everyday problems, to make life easier and eradicate dead time. An app called Bizzby, for instance, connects Londoners to professional tradespeople. Someone with a leaky toilet can look up a plumber on the app and tap to summon them to their home almost immediately; no need to finger through the Yellow Pages directory. Zeel, another convenience-driven app, introduces achy New Yorkers to licensed therapists so they can organise same-day, in-home massages; no need for prolonged Googling.