This is something I've discussed with my colleagues that I've worked with for a long time. At the beginning when the company was smaller the group worked so closely in developing the fundamentals of how we make our products that even those that have left still have left a lasting impression on how things are done even if their names aren't associated with it any more. At some point that dwindled and now it is far less likely that someone makes that lasting impact, even a few months after they leave their contributions are just kinda forgotten.

I have to wonder how things will change when the last couple of us from those days move on, as we are the last links to that time.