HACKER Q&A
📣 annon4635

Any experience switching from a Senior Manager role to IC?


Hi! Background: I have a Senior Manager role in a large non-tech company, where I lead a team of ~100. The team is a mix of Engineers, Product/Project Managers, and industry experts. Up until recently my team was only half its size, but then got merged with another one doubling its size. More challenging, the other team was known for its bad track record and high attrition levels

I was reasonably happy prior to the merger and believe I am a decent manager, but it always felt like I did the job not out of passion but out of a sense of duty / obligation towards the team. Bringing the new half of the team to a good level sucks a huge amount of energy and really is just a chore that will likely continue for the next 1-2 years

I know it would be possible to switch to a part-time IC role in my company without much trouble, which sounds extremely tempting at the moment. But then: the grass looks always greener on the other side… But is it really?

Hence: any experiences from anyone here doing such a step? Did anything surprise you?

  👤 codefreakxff Accepted Answer ✓
I’ve switched back to IC. But my tendency to manage things has pushed me into a hybrid tech lead role that feels like a blend of IC and management. But the things I’m managing are cost savings, migrations, rearchitecting… so I’m very happy with this role. I don’t know what the jobs and roles are where you are, but I’m at a young company that is still growing and have been able to forge my own path. If you can use your management connections, find a technical area that is lacking and that you have the unique technical skills to solve, that could lead to some exciting work.

I’d worry that working on just any other team that you don’t feel passionate about would make you start questioning the move

But. Careers are not just about maximum growth. It sounds like you need to take some time to take your foot off the gas. Switching to an IC role could let you focus on what YOU want to do for a while and then pick something new when the time comes