Thanks for the input, that makes sense. So the idea is set them loose in the direction of a worthy problem, with hands off management. Which is ideal for a manager in some ways. But if you're a rebel you had better have pretty good technical skills, or you'd end up digging a hole for yourself.

Have you found that management gets frustrated by a lack of visibility in when and how things will get done? Or that when it comes time to involve other people in a project or turn it over to another team, that there is much friction? My concern would be a "cowboy" coding style that is familiar to you but inscrutable to others and unmaintainable.