Suppose I am an oil engineer, and I develop some highly technical breakthrough in oil extraction. Is this good, because I am an artisan, and am deeply invested in a very challenging problem? Or is it bad because this invention essentially earns me an infinitesimal fraction on each gallon of gas sold, e.g. "siphoning a little amount of money from a lot of people"?

I am not really sure I understand the distinction that the author is trying to draw.