When “More” Isn’t Better — A Note from a Senior Engineering Manager

In tech, we’re wired for growth—more velocity, more releases, more impact, more headcount. But lately, I’ve been asking myself: Where does it stop? I’ve led high-performing teams, shipped at scale, climbed the ladder. But with each new role, I noticed a pattern—what looked like “success” on paper often came with hidden trade-offs: less time with family, more stress, fewer pauses to reflect. We’re told to aim for the next title, the bigger compensation package, the unicorn IPO—as if each step up will quiet the internal noise. But it doesn’t. Even at the top, many feel like they’re still chasing something just out of reach. And here’s the kicker: when wealth and power concentrate, whether in tech or society, others get squeezed. I’ve seen brilliant engineers burn out, not because they weren’t good enough—but because the system kept telling them they had to want more. But what if the real clarity doesn’t come from achieving more—but from needing less? Less chaos. Less ego. Less pretending to be “always on.” I’ve found meaning in simpler things—mentoring a junior dev, walking outside between meetings, unplugging for dinner with my kids. These aren’t productivity hacks. They’re sanity savers. Because underneath the frameworks and sprint goals, we’re just part of something bigger—organic, changing, deeply human. The atoms in our bodies? They were once stars. Literally. We are nature. And like nature, we’re not meant to scale infinitely. So here’s a quiet question I’m sitting with—and maybe you should, too:

May 7, 2025 - 09:58

When “More” Isn’t Better — A Note from a Senior Engineering Manager

In tech, we’re wired for growth—more velocity, more releases, more impact, more headcount.

But lately, I’ve been asking myself: Where does it stop?

I’ve led high-performing teams, shipped at scale, climbed the ladder. But with each new role, I noticed a pattern—what looked like “success” on paper often came with hidden trade-offs: less time with family, more stress, fewer pauses to reflect.

We’re told to aim for the next title, the bigger compensation package, the unicorn IPO—as if each step up will quiet the internal noise. But it doesn’t.

Even at the top, many feel like they’re still chasing something just out of reach.

And here’s the kicker: when wealth and power concentrate, whether in tech or society, others get squeezed. I’ve seen brilliant engineers burn out, not because they weren’t good enough—but because the system kept telling them they had to want more.

But what if the real clarity doesn’t come from achieving more—but from needing less?

Less chaos.
Less ego.
Less pretending to be “always on.”

I’ve found meaning in simpler things—mentoring a junior dev, walking outside between meetings, unplugging for dinner with my kids. These aren’t productivity hacks. They’re sanity savers.

Because underneath the frameworks and sprint goals, we’re just part of something bigger—organic, changing, deeply human.

The atoms in our bodies? They were once stars. Literally.

We are nature. And like nature, we’re not meant to scale infinitely.

So here’s a quiet question I’m sitting with—and maybe you should, too: