[throwaway84742]

I have never seen this “parallel IC track” work well. Basically the problem is, it is dramatically harder to advance on the IC track than on manager track. A demigod of compilers could easily be making less than a director, and there are a lot more directors than “demigod” ICs. After some point, the atmosphere becomes so rarefied and criteria so fuzzy that most people would be much better off in terms of both money and organizational influence if they just bit the bullet and became managers earlier. It’s a different job, to be sure, but it’s not actually that hard once you focus on it and emphasize the people aspect of it.

So my advice to those considering the switch is: if you are motivated by money and influence, management is basically the only option to advance without killing yourself. If you are motivated by technical challenges and couldn’t care less about the “people” stuff, however, be an IC, with the understanding that your growth will stall well before that of your former peers who went into management.