This is reassuring. I have a buddy that is a pure coder -- individual contributor type of guy. He will often share his latest clever idea in some code snippet,

This is reassuring. I have a buddy that is a pure coder -- individual contributor type of guy. He will often share his latest clever idea in some code snippet, and while I understand it abstractly, I feel lost when I focus on the finer details. I definitely couldn't sit alone in a room and come up with it myself at this point. At the same time, _he_ is a bit lost when I talk the more broad architectural stuff I work on. Thus, I often go back-and-forth on what I should be focused on, especially as it relates to future opportunities. It's helpful to hear I'm not necessarily abnormal or falling off (as it sometimes can feel).