[cmrdporcupine]

The problem with Google's promo/perf process for years is that this trajectory towards upper level positioning was essentially mandatory. When I started they used to say that if you didn't get to L5 in 4 years or so, you would start getting scrutiny applied to you. L5 is sort of "team-lead light" and does require inter-team collaboration, project/code leadership/ownership, etc. I always felt like this process is corrosive towards individual contributors, and doesn't recognize long-standing committed but less-ambitious or less-social people.

This policy was eventually dropped, thankfully, but among some managers I feel like the attitude has remained.

[hobos_delight]

The policy was not dropped, the terminal level was just moved to L4.