The Art of CTO Engineering Ladder Builder creates career frameworks with IC and management tracks, competency matrices, and progression criteria for engineering organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many engineering levels should a career ladder have?
Most engineering organizations need 5-7 IC levels (junior through principal/distinguished) and 3-4 management levels (engineering manager through VP). Fewer than 5 levels creates too-large gaps between promotions, while more than 8 makes distinctions between adjacent levels unclear. The sweet spot for startups is 5 IC levels and 3 management levels. Ensure each level has clearly differentiated expectations across scope of impact, technical complexity, leadership, and autonomy — if you cannot articulate the difference, the levels should be merged.
When should you create an IC track vs management track?
Introduce a formal IC (Individual Contributor) track parallel to management when your engineering organization reaches 30-50 people. At this size, you need senior technical leaders who should not be forced into management to advance their careers. The IC track (Staff, Principal, Distinguished Engineer) should have equivalent compensation and organizational influence to the management track (EM, Director, VP). Without a credible IC track, you lose senior engineers to management roles they do not want or to companies that value technical leadership.