Having been at times a manager and other times and IC, there are some great opportunities in each role, and it really depends on your organization. If you have

Having been at times a manager and other times and IC, there are some great opportunities in each role, and it really depends on your organization. If you haven't read it, "Staff Engineer" outlines some of the ways more experienced engineers continue to grow and provide value without becoming managers. I'd say the first half of it is worth a read to see if it sparks anything for you. I will say that it gets lonelier as you go along either track. Reach out to peers if you have any. If not, try to reach out to folks outside of engineering. It's a tricky path, and I wish you the best.