[rmellow]

> Today, on the other hand, a lot ... of people in CS are probably there because they heard that it's a field where you can make a lot of money... They don't necessarily derive any intrinsic enjoyment from ... technical excellence.

This hits the nail on the head.

How do I cope? I'm very particular about the team I work with. You can't choose everyone you work with of course, but to some extent, you can.

I've interviewed at FAANGs where the interviewers were clearly dead inside and don't give a damn about what they build, and are either coasting or optimizing for promotions/resume.

I look passion in my prospective colleagues attitude towards work, which I find to be a good predictor for whether I'll enjoy the environment. My anecdata suggests this also works towards better product success on average.