Don't become an engineering manager
Whether senior engineers should move into engineering management is being reexamined in light of AI, flattened org charts, and shifting compensation structures. Many contributors argue that EM is a fundamentally different, often riskier job focused on people, politics, and delivery accountability rather than hands‑on technical work, with fewer roles and less mobility than strong IC tracks at major tech firms. Others counter that management can still offer better long‑term prospects, broader influence, and protection from age bias—provided you genuinely enjoy people leadership and don’t let your technical skills atrophy.
EM vs IC: Different Jobs, Not a Straight Promotion
- Many argue EM is a career change, not a promotion: less coding, more people, politics, and process.
- Some enjoyed EM in smaller startups (autonomy, shaping process, mentoring) but found it bureaucratic and date-driven in big companies.
- Others strongly prefer IC work and see EM as “terminal,” owning delivery but not product roadmap or deep tech decisions.
- A minority say people who already gravitate to coordination, mentoring, and cross‑team work often thrive as EMs.
Titles, Levels, and Compensation
- Strong consensus that titles (senior, staff, principal, CTO, etc.) are highly organization‑specific and often inflated in startups.
- Within large tech companies, ladders are more standardized; “senior” is often a terminal role, staff+ is rare.
- Some say staff+ IC and EM compensation are comparable; others report managers out-earning ICs, especially at higher rungs.
- Titles are used both for comp benchmarking and for cheap “ego currency” when companies won’t raise pay.
AI’s Impact on Roles
- Disagreement on magnitude: some see AI dramatically changing daily work; others say their workflows are mostly unchanged.
- One camp thinks AI will hit ICs more (code agents, fewer devs), making EM safer.
- Another says AI actually makes EM jobs harder: more output, more initiatives, more friction to manage.
- Some foresee ICs increasingly “managing agents,” requiring skills similar to first‑line management.
Career Risk, Mobility, and Age
- EM roles seen as fewer and riskier: in layoffs or failures, EMs are often blamed and cut first.
- Others argue EM skills are more transferable across domains and face less age discrimination than senior IC roles.
- Several advise getting at least one management role on a résumé for long‑term employability.
Geography and Industry Context
- Western Europe and traditional industries often treat software as a cost center; management is the only real advancement path there.
- Dual ladders with strong staff/principal tracks are viewed as mostly a big‑tech, big‑hub phenomenon, not industry‑wide.
Meta: Article Quality and Ads
- Some see the article’s “don’t become EM” stance as overgeneralized and emotionally driven.
- The embedded sponsor segment styled like content drew criticism as deceptive and distracting.