You're providing value every time you kill a bad idea "because things don't actually work that way" or shave a loop, you're just not tracking the value and neit

You're providing value every time you kill a bad idea "because things don't actually work that way" or shave a loop, you're just not tracking the value and neither is your boss. To your employer, hiring people who know things (i.e. you) has giving them a deeper advantage in actual practice.