Comment by epups

The subject of seniority and progression to management pops up from time to time here in HN, and we usually see the same tired arguments. Managers are useless, it's not real work, seniority is an illusion, etc etc.

There's nothing wrong with being good at your job and not wanting to change your role. But it's obvious that in most situations, progressing to other roles is necessary if you want to have more influence and control over your product - and usually higher compensation as well. In a professional kitchen, obviously the person actually cooking has to be really good. That doesn't mean this person gets to choose the menu of the restaurant, and their name also won't be displayed outside. They are more easily replaceable than a chef, even if they are very competent technically. As most things in life, it's all about trade-offs, I just think that ignoring what the actual pros and cons are will lead you to bad decisions down the line.