Hell Hath no Fury like a Cheerleader Scorned

"[Cheerleaders] do not build anything. They have no customers that rely on them. They are not disrupting a vertical segment, creating open source software used by thousands, or investing cash that makes much the of the innovation possible. Cheerleaders cheerlead."

Even if all this were correct, the put-downs are easily answered by the very choice of the term "cheerleader". Cheerleaders are essential to the morale and motivation of the team. The more difficult the task, the easier it is to quit - the more important their services are.