I think what you are struggling with is not "developer" vs "production line worker," but rather "artist" vs "engineer." I'd go so far as to say artists don't belong in most development groups, engineers do.
What sets them apart is not necessarily creativity, but rather consistency, quality, and a set of ethics. An engineer has to ensure that what they build works, is robust to bad inputs, robust to errors and failure situations, and is maintainable by others. Consistent practice and tools is key to this and software is only starting to catch up to other engineering practices.
However, many developers see themselves instead as artists, and your comment is a classic example. You want to "create novel things," "ideate," and essentially produce pieces of unique art. You want to be the hero, with irreplaceable skills. This isn't a bad thing, there is always a place in the world for artists. We need artists!
However, art is not engineering, and it shouldn't be too surprising that the big companies want engineers, not artists. They want people who can build things reliably, predictably, work on a team, and yes be replaceable. These days it's more likely that you have to replace an engineer because thy leave for new work rather than are fired.
Both art and engineering are great professions, but different.
What sets them apart is not necessarily creativity, but rather consistency, quality, and a set of ethics. An engineer has to ensure that what they build works, is robust to bad inputs, robust to errors and failure situations, and is maintainable by others. Consistent practice and tools is key to this and software is only starting to catch up to other engineering practices.
However, many developers see themselves instead as artists, and your comment is a classic example. You want to "create novel things," "ideate," and essentially produce pieces of unique art. You want to be the hero, with irreplaceable skills. This isn't a bad thing, there is always a place in the world for artists. We need artists!
However, art is not engineering, and it shouldn't be too surprising that the big companies want engineers, not artists. They want people who can build things reliably, predictably, work on a team, and yes be replaceable. These days it's more likely that you have to replace an engineer because thy leave for new work rather than are fired.
Both art and engineering are great professions, but different.