I think this is actually a reasonable point from a certain perspective. I know personally since having kids, I work like half the time that I used to before, a

I think this is actually a reasonable point from a certain perspective. I know personally since having kids, I work like half the time that I used to before, and I'm far more out of touch with the latest and greatest technologies. I nailed the hype train on functional languages and NoSQL databases in the early 2010's, but docker, k8s, and such, anything 2013 or later I'm clueless. But I'll put the counterpoint on it. I've become a lot more focused on getting the job done in the limited time available rather than going off on tangents and integrating each new thing I think of into the project. I also am more careful in my work, because I don't have the time or energy to deal with mistakes after work hours. And I try to figure out the best use of my time to the company. I've mostly back-burnered the idea of creating the "next big thing" and that allows me to focus on doing the thing in front of me and maximizing my utility there. So, boring, yeah, but I think career wise it's helped me figure out how to maximize my contribution. That said, the two anecdotes you describe sound more like a Peter Principle in action. They probably did the same thing before kids too, is my guess.