If money is by far your top priority, sure. But the shortest path to the title might be a miserable one filled with politics, stressful high visibility projects with ton of micro management and extra hours.
In the meantime, I went from junior to principal on a slightly longer path but I side stepped most of the downsides of the shortest path.
I would even argue that because I was less pressured and overworked, I had the energy and excitement necessary to get involved with more initiatives and was perceived as more productive than some of my peers who were powering through massive features!
You can think of it as the 80/20 rule or "Slow and steady win the race."
You're missing the point. Putting yourself in a position where you're close to indispensable gets you the title. Because the company now has to make a choice, stop having person X manage some area and find a new person who's not as good or won't be for some time, or just forget about the politics and rubrics and other annoying BS and give person X the title and raise. Way cheaper for the company to do the latter. Usually a better strategy too because you retain talent. I've known a few title chasers in my time and they don't last long. /2cents
The caveat here is that you need to be truly indispensable. This may not always be your piece of the company. As key initiatives change, you either need to change or risk being dispensable. The truth is we are all dispensable at some point.
Your attrition may be regretted, but you can be replaced.
> Putting yourself in a position where you're close to indispensable gets you the title.
If you are indispensable at maintaining convoluted stored proceduces with business rules baked into them . Most likely you won't get the next level position which would need company to find somoneelse.
In the meantime, I went from junior to principal on a slightly longer path but I side stepped most of the downsides of the shortest path.
I would even argue that because I was less pressured and overworked, I had the energy and excitement necessary to get involved with more initiatives and was perceived as more productive than some of my peers who were powering through massive features!
You can think of it as the 80/20 rule or "Slow and steady win the race."