Decision Helper: Which Path Matches Your Motivators?

Ask: Do you want to optimize systems (staff) or optimize teams (EM)? Do you get energy from debugging gnarly failures (staff) or unlocking people (EM)? How do you feel about performance reviews and hiring loops (EM) vs. RFCs and cross-team migrations (staff)?

Remember: switching tracks is increasingly normal; careers can be non-linear. Try temporary rotations (acting TL/EM) before committing.