True, but at the end of the day, a mediocre PhD that gets you a nice job is, all things considered, not a bad outcome from the point of view of the student. Yes

True, but at the end of the day, a mediocre PhD that gets you a nice job is, all things considered, not a bad outcome from the point of view of the student. Yes, obviously becoming MrBeast is better than being the (n+1)th gaming streamer. But I think some might not realize how many PhDs are churned out constantly. PhDs are also given out by mediocre universities, advised by mediocre profs. Not everyone can be the next AI superstar. Beware the extreme selection/survivorship bias of listening to advice from the top most successful researchers and household names / celebrities. Most PhDs make a small dent in a small niche specialty, get their degree and go on with their lives, and their work is superseded 6 months to 2 years later.