Right. Companies - which means "managers" - operate on the weird assumption that "programmers are smart enough to model our arcane business processes, but not s

Right. Companies - which means "managers" - operate on the weird assumption that "programmers are smart enough to model our arcane business processes, but not smart enough to figure out the implications of those processes for themselves". If you are at level N in a company and (capable of) operating at level N+1, then your choices are to wait and hope that is recognised by your completely fair, impartial managers and you get promoted, or interview elsewhere and take your career path into your own hands. The second option is more reliable and likely to result in higher comp too!