Ask HN: Career next steps for Principal / Enterprise Architect

matt_s · 2024-09-06T13:26:10.000000Z

You don't indicate if you're happy in your current role (or if you're not) and I don't see any answer to the proverbial where do you want to be in 3-5 years question. If we don't know your goals, its really hard to give advice.

For the eternity of humans organizing work, its a pyramid structure with fewer and fewer people towards the top. In reality, there are a lot of senior people (myself included) that get to a sort of ceiling simply because that next level is difficult to define and possibly very difficult to break into because of external factors.

Your next role could be many things:

- executive leadership like Director, VP, CTO

- technical leadership like the concept of a "fellow", e.g. above principal and probably only a handful at a large company

- solo endeavors where you build towards a brand that's instantly recognizable in some slice of the industry, Linus Torvalds type of name/brand recognition as an example

- consulting/sales architect where you are the expert dropping in to solve problems and move onto the next customer. I hear this can be lucrative, if that is what you desire

- getting in early at a startup could be a combination of 3 of the above, provided the startup makes it big and doesn't flop

The first three above will take considerable time. Another path is lateral and, again, depends on what you want. If you really enjoy what you are doing then there is the option of just keeping at it and adding on different experiences.

quintes · 2024-09-07T06:21:45.000000Z

Thank you, this was good advice and I need to think on this.

I am not happy.

Where I would like to be in 3-5 is more difficult than I thought, as I think it becomes a question of value and purpose. It is likely I want to explore options 4, 3, 1, or 5 in order of preference. I don't mind continuing to do what I do now as I enjoy it and am highly competent, but only in a private / commercial setting or as you say consulting and moving on.

It is true that defining the next level is difficult but I think I can define it but I can't put it down here as, using my real name as I have, but it would be finding value and purpose using my skills set to one entity (this committing to their mission and vision) or many (through an option 3 or 4) that is explicitly private sector startup, scaling or mature orgs.

Thank you for those notes above they've given me some chance to reflect.

edit: I corrected my options choices, I had included 2 but meant 3. and I removed a "not".

austin-cheney · 2024-09-06T11:26:42.000000Z

You sound too focused on the career, so here are your options:

1. Get out of technology and pursue senior management leading multiple direct reports each managing a team or department.

2. Write original software. Solve an original problem, be creative, and do something no one else can.

quintes · 2024-09-07T06:29:40.000000Z

Thank you.

Yes, when looking at the post it looks like I'm trying to figure out the next job title, but I am not. I used the career chain there to indicate my journey to my current level of skills and competency to see if they are desirable to those entity types listed in my post, not to look for the next title.

1. I have considered this and think it is a viable option. 2. I am getting back into writing code for just such a case, however this is needs to be tempered as a side interest and my primary objective remains even with that in mind to offer my skills to those entity types listed.

I am older now and not too focused on my career, I want to balance dollars with family, faith and fun (music). But I need to move on.

edit: I went with an edit and wrapped music I must have had a subconscious moment there..