The language around perceived high-ability developers is important -- &quot;rock stars&quot; are <i>admired</i>.  &quot;Ninja&quot; are <i>feared</i>.  Neither are <i>respected</i> by the people who actually have money and power -- producers, daimyo, investors, management.  Even &quot;guru&quot; implies asceticism and a willingness to provide expertise without appropriate compensation, and more importantly all three of these terms imply an independence from existing power structures that means they cannot move or advance within those structures.