[Scarbutt]

One tends to think of parsing/compiling as a fairly esoteric skillset that a relatively small number of programmers

Parsing is the easy/not so interesting part of a compiler.

[anitil]

Someone on here made the comment a little while ago that while that is true for compiler makers, parsing is the much more useful skill for the average programmer. It allows you to approach a new realm of problems that are otherwise off limits.

So while looking back it may seem like a gentle incline, to a lot of us looking forward it is a steep cliff.