I get anxiety about humanity forgetting how to build foundational tools. I feel better when the occasional weirdo dips down into the weeds to try things from scratch. They're often writing blogs and sharing their knowledge, which is nice for keeping the dark arts alive. They're also equipped with knowledge that we didn't have the first time through, and might be able to come up with something fundamentally better.

Good way to help ensure we're not stuck in some local maximum.