Should I stay as IC/TL or move to EM?
I'm FB E6 right now. TL of a team. I am confident I could get to E7 if I keep at it, but I am not sure if I am good enough to eventually become E8 (or if I will have the energy at that point. Late 30s now) Thinking whether to make a switch to EM now since I heard going from E7 to M2 would be hard if at all possible. Anyway. This is me. I am good at and I like: designing system, writing strategic pieces of the code, figuring out APIs and boundaries with XFNs. Technical mentoring. Career mentoring. Recruiting. Working with PMs. Having interns, getting them to succeed and get strong offers. Writing documentation. Bonding with teammates. I am good at and I dislike: Dealing with conflict. Pushing back. convincing difficult engineers to follow my technical proposal without having authority. Code reviews. I am bad at and I like: making complex refactorings to improve a codebase. Writing large amounts of code. Conveying my technical vision (mostly when off the cuff or orally). Coming up with constructive feedback. Thinking what the team should work on next. I am bad at and I dislike: managing people's times and loads. Planning. Task management. Fixing someone else's bugs. Hardcore debugging hard issues. Thinking what the team should work on next. Managing my own time. In short, confrontation pains me but I don't feel like I may be able to keep growing beyond E7. (Not sure if going beyond M2 is any easier, but sounds like age would be less of an issue there) Also motivation to grow is not TC. Is impact, being a key mover in a technology or product I am passionate about.lp
You dislike people management , task planning and dealing with the conflict. These will increase with the EM role. I recommend staying in IC.
Yeah, that's what I guessed, but I have never been one. I guess I see many of the engineers more senior than myself and sometimes get intimidated or feel insecure about my skills and I like mentoring and trying to keep people happy, but as you say that other side could make me unhappy even if when forced to I can do it.
Based on your own self-reflection, you will continue to do well as an IC. You should stay an IC unless you are willing to work hard to learn the skills needed to become an effective manager. Your current motivation to consider a switch to an M role is based solely on your own self-interest (not necessarily selfishness) to grow your career. However, M roles require very different skill sets and frame of mind. Moving from IC to M is serious business. When you become a manager, you are actually now in charge of other engineers’ careers as well. That is a lot of power and responsibility to take on. You can make or break someone else’s career trajectory at FB. One of your main focus as a manager is to spend a lot of time on their career growth. Many career growth discussions involve tough conversations around candid feedback - willingness to work on weaknesses (negative feedback) and accepting setbacks, e.g. missed promos, unexpected low performance ratings, and etc. Managing conflict and engaging in confrontations are a given on an on-going basis because you are dealing with people, and people are infinitely more complex and irrational compared to code. You will have to manage relationships upwards, downwards and sideways to deliver through others. I am not trying to dissuade you but to help you think more deeply before you pivot to the M route. You sound very smart and capable so I am sure that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
I think I have been spoiled by only managing incredibly talented and motivated interns, so I haven't really had to worry about strong negative feedback. I guess its easy to manage when people are easy , but you are right that it will not necessarily be always like that. I appreciate your candid feedback. To be honest this is what I need. The org has been also pushing me to switch because they have a strong need for a EM and they believe I would do well, but I am in the process of determining if this is something I would regret. I believing it might. Thanks!!!
You are welcome and good luck!
Wait, if you are bad at thinking what the team should work on next, how are you a E6 TL? Aren't E6s supposed to define scope for the team?
Maybe bad is a bit harsh. My manager and org have been happy with how I have done it. I am bad in the sense that I struggle with and need to spend a substantial amount of time doing it. I am sufficiently good but I wouldn't list it as my strength or something that comes natural.
Ok, that makes more sense. Thanks :)
TC
Tc and yoe
I guess it depends on the stock value. Maybe 580K I guess?