Why Top Managers Are Becoming ICs in the AI Era

I’m seeing a new career trend. High-potential managers are stepping down to become super ICs at AI companies.

On the surface, it looks like a lateral move that most people wouldn’t want to make.

But once you look past the first-order effects, it makes a lot of sense.

Here’s why:

1. The AI growth and learning opportunity is too big to pass up. When you’re on a rocket ship, you don’t complain about the seat. AI companies are growing fast, and some of the smartest people in tech are jumping in.

2. Most high-potential managers were once super ICs. With AI, the FOMO around becoming a builder is strong. Super ICs see how much easier product building has become and are drawn to making ideas they only once dreamed about real.

3. Agents reduce the number of people you need to orchestrate and delegate to. Super ICs have always had an “I’ll do it myself” mentality and now they (kind of) can.

All of these are valid reasons to make the move.

But there are equally good reasons not to.

While growth at AI firms is unprecedented, the pace often leaves little room for reflection or personal growth. That growth serves the company–often at the cost of your own.

You can still build things as a manager. It may not be your core job, but you can carve out time if it’s important enough to you.

Lastly, AI makes management skills more important, not less. Good planning, orchestration, and delegation, are ironically, just as important for managing agents.

So while it’s easy to buy into the FOMO of working at an AI company, if you’re self-directed you can capture much of the upside without much of the downside by making the most of your current situation.

What do you think?