> They are also employed in jobs where they are allowed to do these things in work time. They are not heads down workers.
This, 100%. The big names in Tech are definitely not heads-down engineers or aren't on a daily basis. They are paid to travel the country/world, give talks and write books because they are a passive inbound sales engine. Talks, books, etc. generate a LOT of inbound revenue because they establish credibility.
Visit their LinkedIn profiles sometime. You'll notice that a giant swath of those big names don't report to Engineering; they report to Sales/Marketing.
This, 100%. The big names in Tech are definitely not heads-down engineers or aren't on a daily basis. They are paid to travel the country/world, give talks and write books because they are a passive inbound sales engine. Talks, books, etc. generate a LOT of inbound revenue because they establish credibility.
Visit their LinkedIn profiles sometime. You'll notice that a giant swath of those big names don't report to Engineering; they report to Sales/Marketing.