[sloopy543]

It's funny because I have the same mantra. Make games not engines.

I focus on making the game, and the engine is the thing left over at the end.

But in so many ways, I have learned that a really productive game engine programmer should be spending his/her time building tools for the team. That's kind of the point.

You're making these tools that unlock the creativity of others, so they can help you with the team's creative vision.

I would expect any programmer I hire to be a problem solver, first and foremost, the kind of person who wouldn't need hand holding to modify the engine. I would hire people who I expect to make sensible decisions.

That's going to rule out a lot of people, and that's fine. When it comes to hiring, I select. I don't instruct.