> the tech space is becoming terribly sad, with a growing portion of energy expenditure spent outside engineering work.
But this is not inevitable. You can work for a small/medium sized company where the objective is to get things done. Aim at a project where the realization of the product is its own reward, where you learn a lot, where you appreciate your colleagues, where the life/work balance is sane and where the money allows you to live well and prepare for your retirement.
Personally I don't care about titles.It isn't about title the article or my remark is about though, it's about career progression.
I'm with you smaller size companies tend to provide a better environment where politics is kept very low.
The article talks about how to get past a certain point by being more visible. I stick to that context and point out this is more about playing politics. If the article suggested that to get past senior level one option is to join a smaller company, sure, i would have added that job titles are anyway irrelevant and what's important is growth along with well being.
But this is not inevitable. You can work for a small/medium sized company where the objective is to get things done. Aim at a project where the realization of the product is its own reward, where you learn a lot, where you appreciate your colleagues, where the life/work balance is sane and where the money allows you to live well and prepare for your retirement.
Once you get that, who cares about your title?