Is the former of way more value to the tangible product, though? Where I work, the limiting factor in delivery is how good we are at retaining talent. Seniority is scarce, industry experience is valuable, and when we launch a book club... We keep people.
In my experience both are valuable, especially when the work you're cranking through is your assigned work.
I 100% agree with you but I would say that many places will turn the lack of participation in Friday beers, book club, and gokarting back at you as not being a good culture fit.
I'm from Iowa where the work culture is much different - even for SWEs. I prefer it to this weird "culture fit" environment out here on the coast because I am paid to work, I am paid to be a software professional. I am most happy when I am working, and I am most happy when I am effectively making software that solves people's problems. If I want to stick around and focus on my assigned work I feel that should never turn around and bite me in the ass... It does consistently.
I've made a huge shift in my career where I realize that I have to go against my own wishes and participate in the gokarting, beers, game nights, etc. You have to go - every time. You have to make as many friends there - every time. My career has gotten much easier the more social I've become. I just resent it because I want to do good work, and go home. I have a family god dammit.
I can identify; but the farther I go in my career, the more I see socializing as part of the actual work--i.e., not peripheral or ancillary to it, but as an important part of the success of the company. My mentor says that what used to be called knowledge work should more properly be called relationship work, and I see it more with every year. We used to be Taylorist cogs in a machine, but that's not what work is anymore. At least not anywhere where groups of people have to solve hard problems and make difficult decisions up and down the ladder of abstraction.
This is my experience as well. Prioritizing narrow contributions based on expertise over broad contributions based on a congenial and welcoming working environment is an expense that compounds over time.
