I think this is a healthy and productive career path. If you can identify when a dead codebase is about to become fertile, and how to clear the debris to suppor

I think this is a healthy and productive career path. If you can identify when a dead codebase is about to become fertile, and how to clear the debris to support new development, you can make a lot of money, have a lot of fun, gain a lot of respect, receive a lot of autonomy. You just don't want to be the person tasked with work that's only done because some contact got signed. Identifying the difference is hard.