Most people are mediocre (tech-wise). This is not to say that a few chosen ones possess the inimitable spark of genius, it's just for most people a job's a job.

Most people are mediocre (tech-wise). This is not to say that a few chosen ones possess the inimitable spark of genius, it's just for most people a job's a job. Nobody pays to think about how to make the tech stack better outside of company time. And when you try to push your hare-brained schemes, the management reaction is of skepticism of the benefits and worry about the potential risks. Driving these kinds of improvements is a risky, thankless job, that's not necessarily good for your career. Most people either want to work as little for as much money as possible, so they phone it in, or want to get promoted, which usually involves playing office politics.