Two different ways to consider this:
First, in the marketplace, where most people, most of the time, want the thing that most people want. The average one. Exceptional is the exception.
Second, in the committee meeting, where the easiest way forward is to sand off interesting edges, eliminate unknowns and challenge as little as possible.
When you put these together, you see the relentless slide toward banality.
For people who care enough to develop skill and bring bravery to the work, this is a huge opportunity. Not an easy or an obvious one, but perhaps one worth chasing.
