I remember flipping out in the 1990's when sales pitches included language about developers becoming obsolete via self correcting code, automation, drag & drop app builders, etc. But we've not gone anywhere, and your last point is dead on. Developers work in the abstract, can build models in their heads, decompose then integrate, and have a pretty good idea how long things take. The best product and project managers I've ever worked with have risen from the developer ranks, and many still consider themselves developers first. Great article!