One thing that you will hear a lot of non-economists talk about is the idea of planned obsolescence. This is the idea that companies deliberately design products to have a limited shelf life. The argument that non-economists use to justify this argument is that firms do this because it allows the firm to maximize its profit. The more frequently the good has to be replaced, the more often it has to be purchased. Thus, higher profits.
How would this argument explain planned obsolesce in a product like lightbulbs?