I would gather if companies like the ones you mentioned adopted new ways of interviewing, or at least randomized it in way that it couldn't be easily cloned, ot

I would gather if companies like the ones you mentioned adopted new ways of interviewing, or at least randomized it in way that it couldn't be easily cloned, other companies would follow suit or adopt their own style. The challenge is that every companies wants the "best" engineers and believes they deserve it... So in their minds, they do what they think the "best" do. I have heard more than a handful of CTO's and companies sling this expression around as if using this phrase put them in company with the likes of Elen Musk. It's a joke to me really. I look forward to the day one of these guys says, hey, lets be original. Contrary to your point, I believe there is a shortage of qualified programmers... or at least senior ones that can solve hard problems independently. Smaller companies need devs that can solve problems independently, with minimal oversight. Copying Google and Facebook is what they think the path is to get there.