There isn't that much room for out-of-the box thinking in software development (not enough for a 10x boost).
Developers who wander off the yellow brick road don't usually end up in a nice place. The term "lone wolf" is a derogatory term used to describe the kinds of developers who think too far "out of the box".
The best technical ideas are usually derivatives of much older ideas which require deep niche domain expertise to understand.
People say this, and they make career decisions that box them into a certain career path, and then they assume that because that's the only career path available to them, that's the only career path. Meanwhile, other people make career decisions on the assumption that they will get to do the work they really want, and they usually have to work a lot harder to make it happen and face some nerve-wracking moments, but a good many of them actually do end up getting to do what they want.
Developers who wander off the yellow brick road don't usually end up in a nice place. The term "lone wolf" is a derogatory term used to describe the kinds of developers who think too far "out of the box".
The best technical ideas are usually derivatives of much older ideas which require deep niche domain expertise to understand.