[jsiva]

I think it's more about how can you make the most of your life despite being "pipelined". It's not realistic for everyone to pursue fulfillment by aiming to be world renowned in a specific area, for both the reasons you mentioned and there aren't enough areas where everyone to have their own individual hyperspecialized niche. However, your point does apply at a more modest level as well; if you're fulfillment requires costly institutional education, your socioeconomic background could close doors prematurely

[MichaelZuo]

The real truth of the world that nobody likes to acknowledge is just that. The vast majority of the population is 'pipelined' simply because it's logistically impossible for more than a few million people to be the 'best' (or even top 10) of the most obscure niches, even in our hyper specialized world.