I think your missing a few keys here... > how they embarked on bold new marketing initiatives their bosses disapproved of The point is not to ASK and have it

I think your missing a few keys here... > how they embarked on bold new marketing initiatives their bosses disapproved of The point is not to ASK and have it disapproved, the point is to simply do it without asking. These sorts of "cowboy" activities are normally low to no budget items that have outsized (noticeable) impact. > People like me don't get "asked to leave", we get fired. Outside of personal vendettas and genuine incompetence it is hard to get fired. > Plus, the activities of people like me are more closely tracked, and we are going to be noticed and corrected much earlier for going off script. Yes, this is true, to an extent. The way you make your way up is not by just being a cog but by showing a fair degree of initiative and NOT rocking the boat. Want to get promoted, judicious use of refactoring, and automation are the keys to getting noticed. If you're spending a small amount of time having a big impact people will notice. If you write some utility that takes a low grade complaint out of a team meeting your boss is going to notice it. These sorts of activities beget more freedom and more leeway for future endeavors. You don't bet the company as a jr programer but you can have an impact within your team.