IC vs Manager Roles

I now work as a manager. I used to be an IC.Without becoming a manager, an IC won't see the bigger picture and is more likely to feel like they're constantly being pushed around.Being a manager even just for a little while will give an IC a perspective that will allow them to negotiate better for themselves and their teams.

While Management usually the only thing equated with "soft" (hate that word beeteedubs) skills, moving up the IC ladder also requires good inter-personal skills.Above senior you are allowed and expected to go "heads down" (by yourself or a small group) and knock out solutions to technical problems. However you are also expected to identify cross-cutting problems, rally the right people, coherently frame your arguments, etc to move the "implementing solutions to techni

What job have you ever held where the management was consistently better than ICs?

So first you should compare your job to a manager job not an IC job. Its looks like you are a manager that think that he sucks in being IC.As a manager its sounds like you are doing your job (of a manager). As IC you suck (maybe), but you are not IC. If you do not want to be a manager than switch to IC.

How easy is it to transition into a manager if you're an IC?

I haven't been a manager, but my understanding is that the higher IC roles assume you're competent enough to do some management-like things if needed ("responsibility without control"), and I also assume that being a manager helps with compensation because they actually teach you how the review process works and let you into the calibration meetings.

Your points just hit me directly. I consider myself pretty good with my problem solving skill and ability to learn. I feel like I am better as an IC than a manager. Yet, a few times, I got "convinced" into management role because whether manager left or they couldn't find people with enough knowledge for the position. I have always being able to say "nope". I've been working for 10 years, same big tech company but I switched to different teams every 2 years within t

I have been an IC for 17 years now (MS/Amzn/Snap) - let's hope I haven't peaked yet :)But over time I have seen my role change in many ways though: I started as the stereotypical IC, slinging code and did that for a long time. Almost at every level though, sooner or later I ended up with almost full ownership of whatever I was working on. That meant I kept growing in levels and I am where I am right now (Uber tech lead for all data analytics infrastructure at snap).My c

Yes, but, the problem with ic becoming managers is that they are too involved with eng work. Often dictating how things should be done. Also, they have hard time letting their beloved legacy code go.Best managers are IC who have the ability to trust their eng to do the work. Their main role should be “advice”, provide context and connections within the company.

who gets to decide that though?managers are fine burning ICs time if they can better communicate to their bosses laterIC work becomes progressively less important as they’re more mangers