[jasonv]

I know people in large orgs who've kept their IC role for 5-10 years, largely because they definitely provide value. They own their space, but they don't use that in a negative power way. They tend to be very generous with their time and knowledge. They're also net-positive contributors. That's a thing to figure out, for sure. It's sometimes the case that the one getting promoted isn't actually providing greater value, they're just the obvious answer to a painful question.

I think this is also a little easier when you're a little older. I was a ladder climber early on in my career. I'm older now, and in enterprise orgs, there are plenty of seasoned people. It's not obvious that you should be hankering after a title if you've otherwise established yourself.

This may bend differently in startups or hyper-growing orgs.