[cdchn]

Selecting for lack of ambition may have some negative consequences on your businesses' ambition.

[closeparen]

But the problems of engineers optimizing architectures and project plans for their career trajectory over business need are also well-known.

[systemvoltage]

Yeah this I’ve seen everywhere, but more related to the company size. In a 50 employee company, it’s hard to pull that off. As organizations get larger, you get this as inevitable part of human nature. If the salary table is flat, then highly ambitious people will ask for more skin-in-the-game.

The skin-in-the-game bit can be promotions, equity, stock compensation, etc.