Is your question how we should think about meta vs object level work, excluding considerations of personal fit? Because, at least in this example, I would expect fit considerations to dominate.
Basically, it seems to me that for any given worker, these career options would have pretty different levels of expected productivity, influenced by things like aptitude and excitement/motivation. And my prior is that in most cases, these productivity differences should swamp the sort of structural considerations you bring up here.
Is your question how we should think about meta vs object level work, excluding considerations of personal fit? Because, at least in this example, I would expect fit considerations to dominate.
Basically, it seems to me that for any given worker, these career options would have pretty different levels of expected productivity, influenced by things like aptitude and excitement/motivation. And my prior is that in most cases, these productivity differences should swamp the sort of structural considerations you bring up here.