How did you find weathering the growing pains, as your first employer (presumably) went through startup adolescence? Did you remain IC or branch into people-man

How did you find weathering the growing pains, as your first employer (presumably) went through startup adolescence? Did you remain IC or branch into people-management? Sound advice, caveat that (for so many reasons) a shop that feels right and _stays that way_ is increasingly rare and precious.