This is an interesting question because it begs itself in a sort of sad way.

It basically says, why do something if it doesn't directly equate to value in the market, which is kind of sad.

The answer, simply, is because hopefully the value of life isn't easily boiled down to that....but a bigger answer is because it just isn't true.

If you are an entry level at some kind of stem profession, be it programming or science research or whatever then you typically get the grunt work of data processing and executing boilerplate code building.

Once you move up though that isn't true anymore. You typically have to solve some outlandish problems for people and often times problems that are vaguely described to you and this requires creativity.

Good luck scaling a system built in 2007 to support 5 million clients without just a pinch of creativity.