I don't really agree. Consistent 10x programmers learn the skillset required for the job. Often that requires learning about topics that have little relevance i

I don't really agree. Consistent 10x programmers learn the skillset required for the job. Often that requires learning about topics that have little relevance in other jobs. Because of that there is little incentive to be a 10x developer. They are paid maybe 1.25x-1.5x average and have to put in 3-4x the effort. For example I am a 10x developer but much of my knowledge is company specific. This means I simply don't have much leverage; I am already paid 1.5x market rates. I could only change to a better job with a company that was willing to take a 3-5 year "gamble" on me. Unfortunately the average dev only sticks around for 1-2 years so companies don't usually make these long term hires. For example I recently spent 50 odd hours of my own time learning the ins and outs of our companies internal serialisation format. In other words I invested about 8 weeks worth of my learning time for no personal gain. The knowledge is not worth anything to any other company. It's not a rational investment.