[ExxKA]

Absolutely true.

I do believe most engineers experience this maturing when they get access to leverage in the workplace, such as going from being an individual contributor to a leader or mentor.

Try sales for a while, and you will realise that no customer has a neatly defined problem for you to solve. They have real complex problems, which you may be able to shoehorn your general solution into. But even then, there is always an alternative solution for the customer which may be simpler or cheaper, such as just hiring an intern to do the job your software can do.

[aquariusDue]

As time goes on I can only agree with you. Also I find it kinda funny how there's a whole boutique industry propped up by silver-tongued people convincing business customers with poorly defined problems what those problems "ACTUALLY ARE" and oh boy it just so happens that they have a solution for it. In a way some people are stuck with a solution in search of a problem, I suppose.

But sometimes the customer doesn't want the alternative solution for various reasons, some ridiculous, a few valid.

Anyway my 2 cents and YMMV, it's not all doom and gloom.