However, rewt,

What I learned besides all the technical side of things is that the currency of research is PUBLICATION. What these long hours, months spent developing methods meant delays in obtaining results using these methods. And publications generally want results, not methods.... So, this means less publications. And when the second or third student comes along, he/she will enjoy the fruits of your labour.

However, if someone was in a well-supported lab with established methods, they can use the methods already developed to get their results with little delay. They have all the equipment necessary so they don have to go round asking for help or use inferior tools. With their established collaborators, they can generate a lot of high-impact papers.

When these ppl from well-supported lab with lots of high-impact publications graduate, they will apply for the same pool of jobs and grants as you. Their big name PIs can also give reference for them. Guess who will have the advantage and have higher chance of job and grant success? There is no column anywhere on the application form that asks about how supported you are during your PhD or how many methods you have developed. That is why how established your supervisor is means so much to your survival post PhD.