I think there are other types of smart people. People with skills rather than knowledge.
How many people are able to quickly understand new problems, new environments, etc. While a db master is helpful in scaling a big project, the guy who can wear many hats is invaluable in the early stages.
To answer the original question, learn (well) as many frameworks/languages/paradigms as you can. The process of learning something new is the real value.
I agree with your last statement. Learn as much as you can, the process of learning will pay off.
No doubt.
On the other hand, skill-smart people, or what some might call "raw-talent" tend to self-destruct on their own if they refuse to listen. Raw-talent tend to make many mistakes because they have no knowledge. That's why you need both skill and knowledge.
> How many people are able to quickly understand new problems, new environments, etc
Raw talent might be able to learn new things quicker assuming their mind is able to accept this new things. Sometime raw talent can be so stubborn that they refused to learn new things and just believe in their own raw-talent.
I'm quite sure we've all met a very super smart programmer yet very stubborn and wouldn't listen.
> the guy who can wear many hats is invaluable in the early stages
Again, agree with you. Assuming such person exist. In reality, anyone can be the guy who can wear many hats as long as he/she is willing to work hard and longer hour to do research on topics that he/she doesn't know.
Full-stack developers that wear many hats tend to specialize in one set of stack. He/she might not be at the level of DB master that knows at least 3 popular DB such as SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle. But a full-stack developer, at the very least, must know a single popular DB (pick one from above) and almost reaching the expert level or else we don't share the same definition of an all-round professional.
How many people are able to quickly understand new problems, new environments, etc. While a db master is helpful in scaling a big project, the guy who can wear many hats is invaluable in the early stages.
To answer the original question, learn (well) as many frameworks/languages/paradigms as you can. The process of learning something new is the real value.