[warp_factor]

this whole leveling thing is very sad. It makes you realize you are simply a number: a small pawn that falls into a predefined category and that will do a predefined job without too much opportunities to go out of its way.

I'm missing the craziness of studying at university where I felt everything was possible. I had sometimes similar feelings in startups.

In big companies that created that level structure it's shocking how boring everything becomes. People define themselves based on their level. That becomes the only goal together with the TC (Total compensation). It really feels like a rat race sometimes.

[vshan]

I feel the opposite way. When I was studying at university, I found it quite hard to motivate myself to do boring assignments, but after joining a BigCo and talking to customers who are direct beneficiaries of my work, it is much more rewarding and I feel more naturally motivated.

[avh02]

On the flipside, I went back to uni after a few years working - it felt like I was producing stuff that just gets marked and thrown in the trash - time invested felt like it didn't have much value other than producing a mark. It was demoralizing.

But that was an MSc, not PhD or something where your research is more likely to have output/outcome.

[mathgladiator]

It gets worse if you level up because you realize that people are just numbers that need to be led and managed... It's also kind of amazing.

I recommend reading "Extreme Ownership" to get a sense of the importance of leadership because there are no bad teams, just bad leaders. We are the apex predators on the planet, and the key to our success is understanding the social element of it and how to take a group of people and have them achieve something amazing beyond themselves individually.