[m463]

So here's the key.

It's kind of like in matt ridley's "the rational optimist" - in trade both sides think they're suckering the other side.

Yes, "individual contributors" have little power, sometimes get a little less compensation, and have to do the work.

But I've seen plenty of younger folks put in management positions. Instead of playing around with the technology that brought everyone to the company, they get suckered into bugging people and asking for status. They get to hear people's complaints about inconsequential things. They get to run meetings and juggle deadlines in spreadsheets and shitty enterprise apps. And they can't be always be friends with their tribe.

Back to individual contributors - they get to be less responsible. They get to play with stuff. They are more likely to be able to leave it at work. If they can't do something, they can ask for help. And they can "be normal" with the rest of the team. They can make jokes that arent' taken seriously and even spend time with others outside work.

Now where it could go wrong is power. If all of this becomes a power relationship it might suck. so don't make it that.