Is it true that most engineers end up in middle management with an?
Yes, that's correct simply because technical roles have a glass ceiling in any company. Most software engineers, who begin their careers as trainee engineers, will after 8 to 10 years, peak at Tech Lead/ Technical Architect or similar roles. At this stage, they typically settle down at the company, content with hikes of 5 to 8% per year. In some cases, they quit to join as CTOs in their own small startups consisting of around 510 people. Being co-founders, often their aim is to jack up the valuation of their stake, and exit after offloading to some investor. However, if one wishes to progress to becoming even a CTO at an established company, one has to do some kind of management course like an MBA, executive MBA or a PMP course. That's because at that stage, apart from technical knowledge, one has to manage costs, handle clients, predict timelines etc. all of which come under the realm of management. Needless to say, any other C-suite position also almost always requires an MBA degree for managing strategy, finances, marketing efforts etc. Here it must be emphasized that whether one accepts it or not, it is infact these skills that determine the course of a firm's profit and direction. Technical skills are merely one component of a firm's asset matrix. And a very commoditized one at that. That's why the career path of most technical people peaks after a few years. Thus, faced with this harsh reality, technical people proceed to do an MBA even if it means starting from the bottom rungs of an albeit new ladder.