But the ratio is like 10-100:1 for individual contributor vs manager, so the competition for a few spots on the IC ladder is much tougher than on the management

But the ratio is like 10-100:1 for individual contributor vs manager, so the competition for a few spots on the IC ladder is much tougher than on the management ladder. That's why so many FANG employees are frustrated without any progress inside as they compete against some of the best engineers, but management is more leaky as assessing quality is not so clearly measurable/comparable.