Don't become an engineering manager
Source: Hacker News
Over drinks a few weeks ago, a friend told me he’d been offered a promotion to an Engineering Manager role. He planned to decline it, but wanted to hear my take first.
Until recently, my answer in such conversations was always “100 % go for it.” My logic was that it’s a super‑valuable experience, even if someone isn’t looking for a management career path. I told every engineer that a couple of years as an EM would teach them valuable skills, and they could always go back afterward.
This time, we had a long discussion about the trade‑offs, and I finally agreed with him that he should not take that step.
Main arguments from our conversation
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AI coding tools are fast, capable, and completely context‑blind. Even with rules, skills, and MCP connections, they generate code that:
- Misses your conventions
- Ignores past decisions
- Breaks patterns
You end up paying for that gap in re‑work and tokens.
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It builds organizational context from your code, PR history, conversations, docs, and runtime signals. It maps relationships across systems, reconciles conflicting information, respects permissions, and surfaces what matters for the task at hand. Instead of guessing, agents operate with the same understanding as experienced engineers.
You can:
- Generate plans, code, and reviews that reflect how your system actually works
- Reduce costly retrieval loops and tool calls by providing better context up‑front
- Spend less time correcting outputs for code that should have been right in the first place
“WTF is OpenClaw?”
I’ve been on paternity leave for a few weeks, and another completely new project exploded…
The pace of change in the last year has been crazy, and it’s not stopping. Even if you don’t give in to the constant FOMO, it’s impossible to argue that the way we work hasn’t changed. Almost every part of our work looks different, and will continue to evolve.
You’ve probably seen this tweet – the creator of Claude Code asking why Anthropic still needs software engineers.
My friend was afraid that as a manager he’d have less time to experiment and adapt. Especially with a bigger team (he was offered to manage six), you don’t have much time to play around.
I could definitely relate: there are so many ideas I want to work on, tech I want to play with, and so little time to actually do it.
The classic EM ladder vs. today’s reality
The classic EM ladder used to look like:
EM → Senior EM → Director → VPBut companies have been flattening for two years now. Amazon increased its IC‑to‑manager ratio by 15 %, and other companies followed.
- Fewer Director and VP roles to grow into (and far fewer Senior EM slots)
- You can be a great EM for years and find yourself stuck
Note: leadjobs.dev is a side project I’m building with Piotr Osiński. I’ve been exploring the eng‑leadership job market in the last few months through the data we get.
- Companies still need someone to run teams, but from Senior EM upward it becomes much more competitive. You’re now competing with experienced leaders who were laid off from those “flattened” companies.
- There is less opportunity for internal growth. As an EM, promotion usually means managing more engineers, which might not be possible right now. You’re more likely to get a bigger scope with the same team – not a feat worthy of promotion.
IC vs. EM compensation
While my friend was offered a bump with the EM promotion, the total compensation was less than the offers he received for Senior/Staff Engineer at other startups.
This surprised him. The assumption has always been that management pays more. It does, if you compare an EM to a Senior Engineer at the same company. But when you compare across the industry, a Staff Engineer is better paid. I believe it’s because those engineers are in huge demand (and will continue to be so).
For my friend specifically, staying on the IC track, becoming a Staff Engineer, and switching companies would have given him ~20‑30 % more than the EM promotion he was offered.
Why I still enjoy management
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I’m optimistic about experienced Engineering Managers (who stay hands‑on), as I wrote in Engineering Management in the Age of Agents.
- While we may be less sharp tech‑wise, the job teaches us tons of relevant skills that will stay useful.
- And while it’s hard, I think I’ll manage to keep up.
-
I enjoy my job.
Rationally, I believe that being an IC is a smarter choice in 2026, but I know I would enjoy it less.
Further reading
If you found this useful, consider supporting the author or checking out the tools mentioned above.
James Stanier’s article “When the ladder disappears”
by James Stanier – A great read that helps you figure out where you should aim. I highly recommend doing the exercise in the article!
If you are a senior engineer:
I wouldn’t recommend jumping to management right now. Wait a couple of years to see how things evolve.
BUT – if your gut (not just your brain) tells you it’s the right path, go for it!
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Even fewer middle managers and more flexible teams?
by Gergely Orosz – I love Gergely’s weekly Pulse (I’m a paid subscriber); this edition was especially interesting. -
Being an architect isn’t the sum of skills. It’s the product
by Gregor Hohpe -
The Product Velocity Paradox: When Your Engineers Outrun Your Product Team?
by Sahar Carmel – An interesting look at a common reality in many companies.