The challenge of launching projects

What to choose for research is a real challenge for a researcher. I do not know if my thoughts are on the right way to a productive career. I want the real problems, the problems from the real life. I do not want to produce papers from my brain. This means a lot of conversations with partners not in the CS research, and a lot of software engineering work before identifying a theoretical topic. I find all my life is to traverse all the possible paths. Only after I tried all the paths, I find a way out. So, I am not so smart and lucky person. Maybe everyone thinks like me?