Not all technical people have the temperament for management. Some do, but many do not, and nothing you can do can really change that for them. It's similar t

Not all technical people have the temperament for management. Some do, but many do not, and nothing you can do can really change that for them. It's similar to looking at something like Sales - some people are born to sell, other people will never excel at it (I am in that boat!). It sounds like you are one of those people who's brain is not wired for management. That's OK. In an ideal world, you should seek out a company that supports career tracks for pure-technical roles (like the old Bell Labs did). The problem of course is that it's not an ideal world. And that's where you have to dig in deep and decide what's right for you. Some people are able to stick it out and vest and manage to be so-so managers. For other people, that would be soul crushing. The start is to be honest to yourself about who you are, what you enjoy, and what your goals are. And be realistic. If you shoot for the "perfect" job you may end up unemployed or miserable in serial job hunts. Find out what your "really good" job looks like, and what warts you can live with and what are deal breakers, and evaluate that against life stuff like finances, family, retirement, etc.