Fair point. To clarify, I think of "coddled genius" as a good-to-have role, not a descriptor of a person. In fact, I think it's even better if multiple people r

Fair point. To clarify, I think of "coddled genius" as a good-to-have role, not a descriptor of a person. In fact, I think it's even better if multiple people rotate through that role. A permanent division between "people who play" and "people who work" (as I put it at one job) is bad for both groups, and for the product/company. The point I was making was that not everybody should be in that role, but I neglected to point out that it shouldn't be too limited either. Both the percentage of people in that role and the standards to which they are held (different than those in more traditional product-oriented roles) should be intentional, not the result of applying a universal culture or management style more appropriate to an elementary school than to a place of business.