My career was kickstarted by a paid internship. It wasn't much, but it was enough for someone fresh out of high school to get by the the summer -- and build a career out of it.
Possible, yes -- but unlikely, and it doesn't really change any of the issues I brought up. I deliberately did not single out the man or the woman as being the target of the ad. :)
While I appreciate the fact that many "traditional" MVC frameworks fall down when it comes to threading, events, long running connections, event handling, actor-based concurrency, asynchronous processing, and multiple data / presentation resources ... I don't think MVC is the root of the problem.
In fact, MVC doesn't really have anything to do with those issues: it is a pattern addressing the separation of concerns, whereas the shortcomings in the article relate to specific implementation of frameworks that also happen to follow the MVC pattern.
That said, there certainly is a new direction emerging for web applications: we're entering the world of sophisticated software. :)
Note: this is under the assumption that this scales down to the individual level. The idea that a good developer can earn a company $3m isn't unreasonable: it's the idea that the developer is doing it on their own that is incorrect. There are many other people involved in magnifying the value of what a software developer creates.
Conversely, it's also quite possible for a software developer to cause a company to lose $3 million .. and again, it's a question of amplification. :)
There are a few ways to look at this problem, but the fundamental skill set for being independent isn't necessarily your hacking ability -- it's your ability to find a market, and successfully sell your talents and/or a product.
I can speak from over ten years of freelancing and working for startups: learning how to communicate effectively with non-technical people, understanding how to sell your services and/or products, and figuring out what market your skills are most valuable in ... that is the trick to making good money.
I've picked up a few good habits, and it has significantly increased my income, but fundamentally there are only 24 hours in a day, and one of me.
Here's my take: a highly skilled, professional, experienced, and independent freelance software developer can bring home $150k in a good year. That's nearly $200,000 before taxes, and represents an hourly rate of about $150 to $200 per hour (there's a fair amount of of downtime for freelancers and consultants).
You won't make $200 per hour selling your services as a developer to SMEs and startups (the typical market for freelance developers). That kind of money is usually reserved for solving significant problems for big businesses.
On the other hand, can make an equivalent amount at a lower rate by starting starting your own development agency and hiring other developers ... and sales people ... and administrative staff. But that means you're not really out on your own, and your value is in successfully managing people -- not being a "smart hacker working very hard."
The other way to make a significant amount of money is to build a product that people love. This isn't an easy task. I'd venture that a significant number of people on HN have actually tried building their own products.
There's a very good reason why hard working and smart software developers aren't making $3 million each year -- it's because it's extremely hard to do, requires a skill set that is far broader than simply writing good code, and also involves a lot of luck (being the right person, at the right time, in the right place). We happen to have a skill that is in demand and pays well, but that does not make us brilliant business people.
All that aside: working for yourself can be an extremely rewarding experience in and of itself, and over time you will make a good amount of money as you hone your craft and business skills. I love what I do, and I strongly encourage others to try it out if they're interested in the independent work- and lifestyle.
tl;dr? Independent, smart, hard working hackers can make good money, but the $3M / year figure is bullshit.