.. oh, and just to add one more thing, seems like the higher you go, the more of a business person you become anyways. Because for most decisions, the technical and business aspects go hand in hand - should we implement a new payment system in Europe? If we do, how long do we think it will take? Or is it even feasible? If we it is, will it work in all European countries? Will it be easy to maintain? The business person often has little idea on any technical estimates, but these are crucial to making an informed decision. We work together with them to come up with our best belief on whether the idea is worthwhile.

And agreed, it is a lot of responsibility, but again, it's only when an engineer rises in their company.