Exactly, FANG-like have done a lot of work to move definitions around to make it seem like "principal engineer" was still an IC position, but all good principal

Exactly, FANG-like have done a lot of work to move definitions around to make it seem like "principal engineer" was still an IC position, but all good principal engineer I've interacted with were basically managers with a different name. Sure they review code and still get their hands dirty from time to time on critical pieces, but there is much more value in using your experience to lead your team in the right direction.