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Comment by tw04 | Hacker News Reader

> IBM has never a company where engineers could rise to the same ranks as directors and higher with a solid IC track.

Never? Maybe if you’re talking the last 15-20 years, but IBM has been around a lot longer than that…

I personally know people who moved up the ranks there to director and above, so I can say with confidence you’re absolutely wrong.

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Yes! It’s sad how ignorant of IBM and US technology industry history some of these comments are. Then again, I suppose every generation does a lot of its own “this time we’re different” myth making. Not everyone has the wisdom to see the broader context.

Indeee. I think because for younger generation is physically impossible to have experienced it, while for the older generations it's complicated to get into a disruptive startup.

Obviously people could read about the past, but sometimes that's asking too much, they are busy creating "the future".

Also, you know, there probably aren't that many posters on HN who worked at AT&T in the 60s...

If you can’t be bothered to read up on why previously great companies fell from grace, you’re kind of begging to repeat their mistakes…

>I personally know people who moved up the ranks there to director and above,

I didn't mean that engineers can't become directors, I meant that IBM didn't have a track for top ICs to get paid more than directors and still not be on a manager track.

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