Good people don't work for the government because it pays poorly, not because its promotion process is wonky. The usual strategy in any high-paying field for g

Good people don't work for the government because it pays poorly, not because its promotion process is wonky. The usual strategy in any high-paying field for government-track people is to work there for a few years to build credibility, then transition to being a consultant for a 100+% raise (or move to private industry completely).