Truly convincing killer applications of quantum computers -- ones that combine usefulness and feasibility -- are still missing from the quantum ecosystem. In this talk, I will describe the guiding principles that the algorithms team at Xanadu is employing in the search for such applications. I will then review our progress, spotlighting our recent work on simulating the X-ray absorption spectrum of battery cathode materials as an example. The talk will conclude with an overview of fruitful directions and open questions we believe are key in the search for killer applications.