Look at how many distinguished engineers, or other very high level individual contributors who have actual real power there are compared to Directors and VP's w

Look at how many distinguished engineers, or other very high level individual contributors who have actual real power there are compared to Directors and VP's who manage large groups of people. The individual contributor path is exponentially more difficult to climb. I argue that you both have to win the lottery with the right projects and get in early at a company, and have all of the necessary skills. I believe it is a story that is told to individual contributors by people with real power to keep them motivated. The only theory that I've heard of where a flat org could be actually beneficial to individual contributors is the parents theory on open allocation. Otherwise it's just management kicking out the ladder once they've climbed it.