> The reality is that Linus is good at kernels and DRCS for the same reason
OP says that whatever makes him good at kernels doesn't help to make him good at version control systems (X->K but X-/->V), whereas you say that there is a third factor that makes him good at both (X->K and X->V): I say that it is his long experience with managing a zillion patches and branches for the kernel that made him good at version control (K->V).
Handling a lot of patches does not make you automagically a good candidate to rewrite the history of revision control systems in two years, IMHO. So there is still this X Factor that Linus has.
Otherwise I could counter-argument that people that use a lot Desktop features in their day to day work are in line to create the best desktop ever, which is not true.
For Linus handling a lot of patches was just the motivation and what also gave him the required background (that is not enough) and the opportunity to be an user itself of his ideas on RCS.
Another argument is that Git does not offer incredible advantages only to big projects, it is winning actually because its wast advantages can "scale down" very easily to small projects.
OP says that whatever makes him good at kernels doesn't help to make him good at version control systems (X->K but X-/->V), whereas you say that there is a third factor that makes him good at both (X->K and X->V): I say that it is his long experience with managing a zillion patches and branches for the kernel that made him good at version control (K->V).