[jf93ap29sh]

Fixing bugs (even super hard ones) is a very narrow set of expectations for someone in software.

Sounds cliché but an employee is expected to 'create value' which has a variable meaning. As an employer - sure I have bugs for you to fix. But I also need new features, performance improvements, re-work old code, etc.

It's going to be a hard sell to hire someone who can only do one of those things (albeit very well), because employers expect someone who can adapt and can deliver whatever is reasonably asked of them in their domain.

I think you are also downplaying the importance of context, a contractor coming in fresh will be missing critical pieces of information that may influence why something happened or was designed like it is.

Bug/Security bounties sound to me like the closest alternative for what you are trying to do.

[pdimitar]

It is not possible to be only good at fixing bugs. I believe OP is referring to a preference, not a single area of expertise.

It's very possible they got burned out by the constant death marches for more and more features and never addressing any tech debt along the way. Many programmers can relate to that.

I as a senior programmer would like just one such gig in my life as well, to be honest. But seeing that decision-makers like you misinterpret it as "You can only fix bugs and not do anything else a programmer does? No thanks." fills me with despair.