Smaller companies just can't afford it. Also, a developer will keep other people employed at the company. If our company had no developers, all the sales/accountexecs/marketing/etc people would be out of a job.
It's a classic chicken and egg question. In software development, do you need the engineer first, to build the product, that can then be sold even further.
I think it's just that the wrong metaphor is being used. Don't think "as the fundamental basis of the company, the developers are keeping everyone else employed"... think "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts". You can start with either, but you won't get anywhere without both.
