assume that productivity is a feature of an individual and not a feature of a team. That’s a wrong assumption. The fairest way to pay is same salary for the whole team.

So much of what we do produces nothing, but prevents a lot. There is definitely a reason to pay for experience and seniority: it's not so much about creating widgets faster but more about not making short-sighted decisions. And in dev work, we have a high chance of making bad decisions as we're second-generation lost-boys.

Having said that, those individuals are out there for whom compensation starts competitive and ends just short of their value. It's eye-opening to meet and talk with these people and, once you do, it will change your life having them in it.