They jump ship more often when they stop or significantly slow growing than when for compensation, but eventually compensation becomes a problem just the same a

They jump ship more often when they stop or significantly slow growing than when for compensation, but eventually compensation becomes a problem just the same as at any job. You're underestimating how quickly a junior dev can be putting out useful work - within a few months they'll be tackling a ton of bugs and freeing up senior people to work on bigger features. Yes, eventually they leave, but it seems like everyone seems to think they're just dead weight.