[vrinsd]

Very possible outcome for OP too.

The weakest part is usually the human factor and the need to bucket someone into a few categories like "rock star" or "loser" or "slightly better than unskilled labor" or "nerd engineer".

Have been in a similar situation and sadly found unless your peers have truly understood what you've done and how, they'll filter your suggestions or insight through whatever bucket they've placed you in.

[subpixel]

Perhaps when you’re willing to trade a prestigious title for some sanity and personal satisfaction you’ve already determined that it doesn’t matter what your peers think or what gets decided.

They key is that you can’t just stop doing what you hate but you have to be able to lean into what gives you some satisfaction.

[vrinsd]

In my experience its's less about caring what people specifically think of you, and more about how you are treated in whatever team you're on.

Example: I made a trade from a key role to a dev role in one job change. In dev role I was working with a technology I had significant experience with in my prior "key" role. In the new role, when the topic came up, I suggested we avoid certain vendors since in my prior role I was responsible for the technology vetting and I determined the chosen vendor was not forthcoming with some important limitations. My feedback (constructively and succintly presented) was completely ignored since I was "just a developer" and I ended up having to make the sub-par technology actually work.

It was frustrating and painful, not because of ego, but going into the task knowing it would suck since the wrong decision was made and now I was the guy having to make broken pieces meet some demanding requirements because "a developer" couldn't possibly know more than an "architect".

[ipaddr]

Save your opinions for your own projects. Let someone pick the wrong vender and pay more. This won't affect your profit share because developers don't get it anyways.

[vrinsd]

Normally I'd agree with you, the exception is if you're the poor "schmuck" that has to deal with the aftermath of said opinions or decisions.

I don't know about other developers & engineers but I've already learned quite a few lessons the hard way and don't need to burn my evenings and weekends knowingly doing something the wrong way.

You might say "That's OK, that's what they're paying you for" but if you've been in this situation, usually someone less knowledgable, bordering on clueless will draft a schedule and you'll be the guy to make it happen. So a bad technical decision turns into a pressure cooker which then turns into more stress. Which is similar to another poster who said (I'm paraphrasing) "each job will suck in different ways".