I'm at around 25 years and have decided to stick with the middle of the IC ladder. Moving past that means no more working directly with the technology, only tou

I'm at around 25 years and have decided to stick with the middle of the IC ladder. Moving past that means no more working directly with the technology, only touching it indirectly. Plus theses are "leadership" roles, which pretty much just means moving into the dysfunctional, hierarchical structure most companies seem to default into. I prefer peers, not subordinates. To put it another way, my favorite thing about programming is the creative aspect. Getting a problem, thinking of a solution and then writing the code that solves it is more rewarding than anything the higher positions have to offer.