I think we also should discount how important the non-excellent obsessed professionals are to the productivity of the excellent one. Building can be lonely and isolating, so it's nice if there are people around you, keeping you on your toes, evaluating your increments, supporting your labor, telling people about the cool stuff you're building, low-key name-dropping you everywhere.

The non-excellent are just as enthusiastic and that's really important because it gives you an audience to build for and it makes it clear how rare you are.

Would you rather perform in front of a cheering audience of people who think your music is great, but who can't sing as well, or in front of an empty theater?