[deathanatos]

> There's a larger issue with that though: At some point, successful engineers _need_ to become examples or leaders

Why? Why should I become an example, or a leader? To be blunt: why do companies think I should do that additional work, without additional pay?

[jvanderbot]

Well they may think you should do extra work without extra pay, but you shouldn't think that.

If you want to grow the company, (and all companies want to grow), or new companies want to start, we gotta train new people. That means you, too. Knowledge transfer and good culture is how the industry changes for the better. Otherwise it's all the pointy haired ones exploiting useful idiots.