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Best career move I ever made was to quit a managerial job and learn coding.

Three years later I was making more $$ as an IC with none of the stress and nuisance of management.

Five years later I was making 2x my old salary and significantly happier w my day to day work.

To each their own...

That's interesting. I'm facing the choice of going to management for a pay cut in the short term but with longer term potential upside.

If you excel at management, you will eventually make more than most ICs, especially in a tech company where they have to pay up to get engineers to convert to a meeting oriented job.

I was a good tactical/operational manager but did not enjoy many aspects of the job (bureaucracy, performance reviews, personnel problems, being 'corporate'), had limited interest in strategic business concerns, and did not have the enthusiasm needed to move up the management ranks.

I'm much better suited to being an individual contributor.

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