I think your point 2 is absolutely on the nose here. It fits in with broader industry trends in testing and operations. And perhaps that's where the OP's ques

I think your point 2 is absolutely on the nose here. It fits in with broader industry trends in testing and operations. And perhaps that's where the OP's question originated from? As we've watched the despecialization of our field in testing and ops, we've seen that things improve, as ideas are introduced more widely, while also seeing them get mimicked and cargo-culted when the ideas are diffused. Maybe the coders who were fighting against testing mandates or devops or design thinking were just insecurely admitting to their own ignorance on these topics and asking for assistance in being able to perform their new duties effectively? One value in specialists is the freedom that comes with specialization enables them to do their job more completely. Fred Brooks's surgical team could not be more relevant.