Advice for new principal tech ICs (i.e., notes to myself)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nature of Principal / Staff+ IC Roles

  • Many see principal IC as “technical management”: organizing and multiplying others’ work rather than coding most of the time.
  • Others push back: some principals/scientists have no formal authority and succeed purely through expertise and voluntary followership.
  • Several describe the job as spotting risks early, redirecting projects, and doing cross-org “course corrections” that are largely invisible but high impact.

Management, Politics, and Influence

  • Disagreement on whether principals are just managers without reports or a distinct track.
  • Some argue politics and social engineering dominate promotions at this level; others emphasize real skills in hiring, fixing dysfunctional teams, and cross-team collaboration.
  • A recurring theme: “influence without authority” is central, and stressful for those who dislike politicking.

Visibility, Credit, and Career Dynamics

  • Debate over visibility: one side says quiet, behind-the-scenes principals are common; another insists visible impact is required for promotion and survival.
  • Tension between ideals (promotion for measurable impact) and reality (time served, proximity to power, and perception).
  • Contradictions in the article (e.g., you must be on the critical path to earn promotion, then get off it to be effective) are called out as Peter Principle territory.

Desirability, Burnout, and Alternatives

  • Multiple commenters say principal IC sounds like “the worst job”: all the politics of management plus expectations of top-tier technical currency.
  • Others enjoy the role: influence across teams, helping others grow, doing “principal-level aligning divs” when that unblocks value.
  • Many advocate staying at mid/senior IC if you like coding and don’t want your life dominated by organizational games.

Levels, Compensation, and Identity

  • Strong skepticism toward big-tech leveling systems and title inflation; some see “principal” as largely a status and comp game (often 7-figure TC), not necessarily a measure of vision or maturity.
  • Concern about “performative engineers” optimizing for levels rather than meaningful work; some describe leaving large orgs to rediscover the joy of coding.

Amazon-Specific and Article Critiques

  • Several note Amazon-centric jargon (L6/L7) and see the piece as self-promotional “personal brand” content.
  • Accusations of plagiarizing internal wikis and repackaging long-known staff+ advice without attribution.
  • Observations that Amazon’s principal bar has fallen amid a talent exodus, with more principals perceived as political operators than deep technologists.