ICs who refused management... drop your numbers
Honestly it is exhausting!!! Everyone pushing you to become a manager...
Let me ask you all a question and expect some real numbers or may be a reality check.
Is it only me or everybody sees folks around them giving up coding to become EM or directors just for the money... and don’t even get me started where people are discussing about how IC role has a hard dead end after 10 years. Meanwhile someone like me just wants to build stuff and not deal with people politics, so trust me honestly it is confusing....
What am I actually missing here, is it my fate that I have to hit a salary ceiling eventually or staying a senior IC can still get a hefty CTC???
Also welcoming folks who stayed ICs to pour their heads here. Drop your YOE and CTC. And please give me some good peace of your mind about if there is actually a ceiling for us. Could be very useful for others like me...
Corporate hierarchy is designed that way. You do hit the ceiling. A 10 yr exp does the Same job as 5 yrs experience. But cost difference of keeping both is huge. As an IC, you hit ceiling in terms of productivity/Efficiency too. So what's the best way to keep them on payroll and continue to contribute?
- Leadership
- Mentorship
- Line management,etc
From management's perspective, they find the experience of senior ICs can be better utilised in decision making, leadership, mentoring, etc. All those experiences of tiring nights, tight deadlines, challenging clients and complex delivery solutions can better used.
I guess, the only way to stay IC is to increase the stakes of your role. Eg, lead a complex project delivery or project management or some niche tech role which is difficult to replace and high impact. That way, ceiling stays but gets pushed higher.
