you're right, sorry for the confusion. i didn't mean to suggest that every google employee works on world-changing software. what i meant to say is that engineers "price" google employment much like they price any product on the market.

if they value google employment more than citibank employment, they're willing to pay more, that is accept lower compensation. beyond world-changing projects, there are benefits to google employment that attract developers -- things like free restaurant-grade food, the google stamp on a resume, and bright, motivated co-workers.

if these intangibles diminish in value and cannot any longer offset the lower cash compensation, people leave.