Comment by throwaway777836

Because those companies, and their mindsets, represent a fraction of all software jobs. The performance improvements that come from having good systems programmers appeal to only a small subset of companies. Even if the opportunity is there, features are what matter primarily to most companies. Only the ones with deep pockets and forward thinking will shell out for talent who will improve the infrastructure in a way that leads to often incremental and unnoticed or "unnecessary" improvements.