From a bystander's perspective (I'm nowhere near a PhD, but have friends who are), I think there's value in learning academic rigor (which is what I think PhD d

From a bystander's perspective (I'm nowhere near a PhD, but have friends who are), I think there's value in learning academic rigor (which is what I think PhD does). I see it like learning to submit a high quality PR into a field of science. You learn to make sure everything you do is well-written, properly backed up, tested, verified, reviewed. There are just way too many ways for humans to come to the wrong conclusions, make unintentional assumptions, or miss alternative explanations. A highly passionate person without academic training is more likely to find themselves falling into these traps. (I'm sure there are notable exceptions). I think with all its flaws, PhD might be the last bastion, in principle, where you're trained to be insanely precise and pedantic. The reality is a lot messier than the ideal, but it's still a valuable pursuit.