There’s an interesting trend we’re seeing right now that I thought was worth diving into. I’ll hit the headline—if anyone has questions, ping me.
The Rise of the "Super" IC
More executives are opting into senior IC or execution-heavy roles than ever before.
8–10 years ago, career progression was pretty linear. You’d start your career, pick an expertise by function, and work hard to scale into leadership—ultimately managing and teaching how the work should be done rather than doing it yourself.
Now, we’re seeing a large number of executives opting for one of three paths:
- IC roles within companies – CROs going back to selling, CMOs owning a marketing vertical instead of the entire org, or VPs of Engineering/CTOs returning to building.
- Transitioning to contractor/interim/consulting roles – Finding more flexibility and often better compensation.
- Shifting industries – Sales execs moving into venture, operators shifting into talent, etc.
Why?
After polling 100+ execs who’ve made this move, a few key reasons stood out:
- Management fatigue – The last five years have caught up with a lot of leaders. Many are more excited about driving the work than dealing with the day-to-day challenges of shifting teams, priorities, and macro conditions.
- Long-term incentive “Disillusionment” – Many execs no longer believe in their illiquid, long-term incentives. Company multiples are fluctuating, preference stacks are misaligned, and too many have been burned by investor-driven financial engineering.
- More money, less stress – Some leaders are making more cash while working 30–40 hours a week with a portfolio of clients. Others have structured creative, outcome-driven deals tied to business value rather than traditional IC compensation bands.
- Leverage via AI – Savvy execs are using AI to handle work they would’ve previously delegated, giving them more efficiency and independence.
Traditionally, organizations have capped earnings based on A) your level, B) how many people you manage, and C) where you sit in leadership.
Now, we’re seeing more companies rethink comp based on outputs and outcomes rather than org structure.
For example:
- A talent leader getting paid per placement/result instead of just base + bonus.
- A marketing leader earned 1.5X their CMO comp based on A) budget savings, B) hitting/exceeding target outcomes, or C) the performance of their specific channel.
- A revenue leader earning 2x what they traditionally made as a CRO by going back to selling and getting paid based on deals closed, channels unlocked, and overall impact.
Engineering has long been an exception—Google, for example, has 11 IC levels (though few advance beyond L6–L7), allowing engineers to scale their earnings based on impact rather than leadership.
With AI reshaping execution, management complexity persisting, and long-term incentives feeling unstable, I expect more top talent to chase outsized cash outcomes by driving the work rather than managing it.
If you need help thinking through how to structure your “Super IC”, give me a shout.
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