One thing I've noticed in my career is that those who possess a certain kind of 'wow' factor are the ones who are categorised as the 'stars' and thus progress q

One thing I've noticed in my career is that those who possess a certain kind of 'wow' factor are the ones who are categorised as the 'stars' and thus progress quickly through the technical ranks. I've tended to find that these people don't write particularly good code (not usually bad, just mediocre) and tend to lack ability in software engineering - writing deeply unrobust code that falls far short of their perceived 'rockstar' qualities. I can't tell you the number of conversations I've had with managers or even colleagues where their untouchable genius is extolled to the heavens. Combine this with the fact that those who raise issues and foresee problems are often viewed poorly (possibly even MORE so if those problems actually end up happening). Ultimately you end up with a situation where those who advocate for solid engineering are, while respected, never really raised above the low levels of the career ladder and those who embrace woo rise up.