Doing something a long time does not mean you're good. It only means you've done it a long time.
To me designing has never been a job or profession. It's a way of life, like a priest or rabbi.
I don't think that success is the premise to what is good or bad.
I do not think of type as something that should be readable. It should be beautiful.
The contributions that one makes in typography, design, and art in general cannot be, and must not be measured on how much money is involved. That would lead to total chaos. The word itself (contribution) is to give to a common purpose.