this is similar to another point that in the vast majority of companies that make software the returns to technical skills are rapidly diminishing, in reality.

this is similar to another point that in the vast majority of companies that make software the returns to technical skills are rapidly diminishing, in reality. In most companies it actually is, in a completely non-cynical non-political way, your 'social' skills that begin to dominate your efficacy in improving the company's bottom line past a certain floor of tech skill. That involves understanding and working with how the whole company works as a machine top to bottom, including the relationship with customers. There are times when that maps to problems with technical solutions but more often than not that's not the case. That's the fundamental reason in most companies you really do need great social and communication skills, and often business sense too, to become more and more senior on the (quote unquote) technical career ladder.