Churning out Javascript/webshit frameworks every month, and running on fumes and the good graces of VCs isn't innovation.
"Boring" industries like insurance might not seem innovative on the outside because their members aren't blogging and twattering about it constantly. One of my clients does catastrophe modeling, and uses both Python and .NET (F#)...but it's probably not going to be something on your radar. But guess what, they're raking in the dough while actually being innovative, yet you're here on HN claiming they're not proper engineers.