From IC to management and back: an architect's perspective on the pendulum

Over the past six years, I've gone from Staff Engineer to Engineering Manager, then back to Principal, and most recently to Tech Lead. It feels like a pendulum swing, and each transition taught me something different about software architecture and team dynamics. Moving into management was a big surprise. Suddenly, my calendar was 80% meetings, and I had to learn a completely different skill set around people management, career development, and project roadmaps. I quickly realized how much architects depend on good managers to clear roadblocks and champion technical initiatives. Coming back to an IC role, I found my architectural proposals were stronger because I better understood the organizational constraints and how to communicate their value to non-technical stakeholders. The biggest lesson is probably empathy for both roles. As an architect, I now have a much deeper appreciation for the operational challenges managers face, and when I was a manager, I often leaned on my architectural background to help guide technical strategy. It's a continuous learning process, but I wouldn't trade the diverse experience for anything.