Why is all the investment going into more blockchains?
We need more consumer focused applications to create the ecosystem. Having so many new blockchains is like having multiple internet / phone lines at home.
In contrast, we need applications like smart tv, netflix, spotify, web browsers...
If we put all the money into infrastructure and not in apps, this will inplode like the fiberoptic investments 20 years ago, that no telco made any money with.
How do we incentivize programmers to go program apps instead of another coin?
Your argument is very much valid as we already have enough number of coins that have come and go and even several that are listed in several exchange sites across the internet while some are still even coming out on a daily basis. However, I would appreciate if all the coins by developers is geared towards creation of problem solving projects like Solar energy for third world countries, affordable internet, sewage recycling among other projects rather than just focusing only on the pumps and dumps on the exchange sites.