Being a useful resource doesn't have to be miserable though, especially if your role is more akin to a chainsaw or rocket engine than a stapler.
'course, the pig still gets eaten in the end.
By complaining about the "shortage" they encourage new entrants into the field and convince existing talent to accept lower wages.
It's purely marketing, IMO.
That seems like lousy marketing. If I'm told that something is constantly in a shortage my first thought isn't exactly to sell it for less.
You aren't going to change the world as an IC. If you're really a 10x engineer, maybe put that 9x difference back into learning how to market yourself or a product, if you really want to make a difference.
A developer gets paid before the salespeople have anything to sell. It's up to the company and its salespeople to try to not lose money on their deal with their R&D people. Considering the context of the article (Google engineer) and how much people in that market get paid, making money after you pay them is a tall order. Most businesses fail.
So what about that 1x engineer who negotiated for 50k more than you, even though your output is better than his. Your company isn't jumping to give you a raise. Is that just "the market"?