Actually, compilers are a great example of this dynamic - when you work becomes more and more impactful, but more and more removed from actual problems people have. Say, you write a script to solve a specific problem someone has. But that is not very impactful - one person is happy and that's all. So you generalize your program to a whole class of problems. But that's not the end. Next, you write a framework for writing programs similar to the one you've developed on the previous step. And of course, all languages being shit, you'll want to write a compiler for a language to write your framework in. So you end up with a thing that is very impactful but also pretty useless on its own.

Nice example. Really, lots of technology is like this. If you enjoy arithmetic, you do it. If not, you use a calculator. If you enjoy digging, grab a shovel, otherwise use a backhoe. Nothing wrong with picking the layer you enjoy, and a backhoe isn't always the best answer anyway.