anecdotally, I can confirm this happening in a few companies I know... I left my job at the beginning of 2020 to work for myself. A lot of ex-colleagues took a similar path.

I guess the "focus on the mission" companies are trying to foster among their ranks is also useful to distract oneself from what your own mission actually is.

This hiatus on company focus might have been the best thing that happened to a lot of engineers I know.

Including, alas, myself.