I have seen senior managers outpace ICs, and I have seen ICs run circles around
By Allie K. Miller · June 3, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
I have seen senior managers outpace ICs, and I have seen ICs run circles around the org chart. Titles tell you almost nothing about who is actually going to operate well in the next few years (and might even hold some people back?).
The three traits I look for in every hire:
✅ High agency
✅ A strong sense of wonder
✅ Complex systems thinking
You can have all three as a designer, as a finance lead, as a head of people, as a junior analyst. You can also be a VP without a single one of them.