The transition looked like a promotion from the outside—but inside, it felt like a strange identity swap.
I traded:
Quiet mornings of problem-solving for back-to-back meetings
Code reviews for performance reviews
Mentorship for mediation
Some days, I miss being "just an engineer." The clarity. The flow. The feeling of building something real with your own hands.
But then I see a junior dev I mentored ship something brilliant. Or a teammate steps up confidently in a meeting because I created the space.
And I remember: I’m still building—just with people, not code.
For those who've made (or are considering) this shift: What did you gain? What do you miss?
The transition looked like a promotion from the outside—but inside, it felt like a strange identity swap.
I traded:
Quiet mornings of problem-solving for back-to-back meetings
Code reviews for performance reviews
Mentorship for mediation
Some days, I miss being "just an engineer." The clarity. The flow. The feeling of building something real with your own hands.
But then I see a junior dev I mentored ship something brilliant. Or a teammate steps up confidently in a meeting because I created the space.
And I remember: I’m still building—just with people, not code.
For those who've made (or are considering) this shift: What did you gain? What do you miss?