> "Working my ass off as an IC who can't move up the gradient" -> "Principal Investigator, CEO, CTO, CMO, CRO of a 10-person team, captain of creation, actual Iron Man."

* Are you being compensated for all those roles you now do?

* If you do 5x does this mean you get more time for yourself or are you now busy 24/7 with more work?

* Extrapolate this all other "5x" IC, now you all are CEO CTO CMO CRO iron man. Now what?

Have you somehow sourced unsubsidized inference? Isn't all of this built on the false economy of a handful of very large vendors trying to capture you?

Let's assume you're not just delusional about your own abilities.

Do you expect everyone else to become 'actual iron man'?