This is part of the author's larger point: your title does not limit your contributions. You don't need permission (a title) to act a certain way. Titles, then,

This is part of the author's larger point: your title does not limit your contributions. You don't need permission (a title) to act a certain way. Titles, then, are an acknowledgement, not a license. One of the reasons why engineers get dicked relative to executives is that engineers tend to be promoted "confirmationally" (i.e. you're promoted to X once you're an X already) while executives are promoted aspirationally. At least, that's how it's sold to the engineers. In truth, it's standard-issue corporate stinginess. The problems with that are multiple. The first is that you can't just ditch your X-1 (and, typically, X-2 and X-3) work while you're still an X-1 in title. Standing up and taking on X work is a way to make yourself a McNulty: you're likely to be perceived as neglecting your assigned work or poking your nose where it doesn't belong. The second is that companies will often give better projects in lieu of the title bump and the raise that typically comes with it, which is why you often have to job hop to get genuine career progress. Google has a lot of SWE 3's and Sr. SWEs who were underpromoted but work on important projects, and ends up handing out $500k+ retention packages when it realizes its mistake (usually because the underpromoted engineer now has a Facebook offer).