The article suggests that, as super-human programmers build ever-better platforms/languages/tools, those building apps/whatever on top of those will be less differentiated in terms of programming ability, because it will be so easy to develop stuff anyway.
I'm not sure this is true. Are 10x programmers really 10x because they can grapple with technology stacks, or because they're really smart and experienced at problem solving? Programming will always be about problem solving, no matter how easy you make the final implementation of the design.
Specific skills (e.g. working with a certain framework) will go in and out of style, but problem solving will always be in demand.
Also, maybe I'm naive, but I just don't see the software-as-legos future as feasible. There will always be the need for customization and ever-more-advanced functionality.
If you spend a few years at university (I have two degrees), you learn things like sorts, automata, proofs, and calculus.
On the other hand, most of the junk I deal with day-to-day as a working software developer turns more on my knowledge of tools like Chef/IntelliJ, software libraries (the stdlib of various languages, the Java/.NET BCLs), build systems, git/github, and how to do a proper code review.
For most stuff today, I would highly prefer the person with more tools experience. Granted, there are some problems people who aren't "10x developers" could never solve (e.g. writing linux) but for most stuff industrial software devs today are doing, it just doesn't matter. You just need to write the code, it needs to be maintainable, and it needs to be done as quickly as possible.
You compare two people who have different skills. Presumably either one could learn the skills of the other. Why choose the one with the easiest skills to learn?
I'm not sure this is true. Are 10x programmers really 10x because they can grapple with technology stacks, or because they're really smart and experienced at problem solving? Programming will always be about problem solving, no matter how easy you make the final implementation of the design.