I can see that. You get to flex a particular skillset which isn't rewarded elsewhere, so for you, it's a positive. You could think of the "IC track" terminating in this kind of role, which is pretty cool. I do think some people may not realize by choosing this path they are locking themselves in to industries where this role is needed or rewarded. It's not quite as generalizable or broadly recognized as "management". So steer clear if you think you may not want this for the long term.
