The smartest people I know work in government, education, and agriculture. Some in music and other arts. One at FAANG, but they might not be happy there.
Also depends on how you define smart. M-W dictionary says intelligent, which itself has many definitions. I'm currently biased towards considering healthspan, environmental health, and (related) health of society over the next millennia; what behaviors will help us humans know the story of life on earth more deeply and continuously? It's smart to consider the long-range narrative).
For background, I only dabble in software development as a hobby and sometimes to make something for work (currently at a government entity for public infrastructure).
Also depends on how you define smart. M-W dictionary says intelligent, which itself has many definitions. I'm currently biased towards considering healthspan, environmental health, and (related) health of society over the next millennia; what behaviors will help us humans know the story of life on earth more deeply and continuously? It's smart to consider the long-range narrative). For background, I only dabble in software development as a hobby and sometimes to make something for work (currently at a government entity for public infrastructure).