Little depth is exactly the problem.

I am all for the expert generalist but you need to at least have tried to dig into something really serious and spent the years learning to become really good at something.

First time I did that was with music where you learn that you will hit plateaus along the way were it feels like nothing happens until then suddenly you are catapulted to an ever more accomplished level.

Luckily this still happens but it seems like it mostly happens outside of academia because it's not been as politicized as much of that seems to have become.