I think that statement does a disservice to being a software engineer, and is off the mark as well.
At my company (VMware), I know at least one Senior Director and three other Directors (Matthew K., David S., Rajan A., and Ryan R.)who abdicated their managerial role in favor of being an individual contributor for the simple reason that it was much more enjoyable, not because they're "embittered" or "anti-authoritarian".
For a more high-profile example, Mitch Hashimoto of Hashicorp went back to being an indicvidual contributor.
And, on a personal note, I'm 58 & I love engineering — it's fun. I like software, and I'm happy being a developer. I don't think I'd enjoy being a manager, and am not interested in finding out.
Actually, you're engaging in the bias right now. I don't ever plan on getting out of IC/Engineering. Stop assuming that's something everyone wants to do.
The world is big, and the chances that you happen to be in the optimal role at the optimal company are vanishingly small. In my book, a category of management failure is letting someone doggedly clutch on to something that's hard on both themselves and those around them.
Everyone would like the person doing the above to be someone intimately familiar with and good at the work they're managing, or else everyone is pointy haired boss and we all have to complain about how MBAs are ruining our lives...
I agree that those tasks are important, but none of them require being a manager who is formally someone's boss (hires, fires, does performance reviews, deals with HR issues, etc.). I didn't like being peoples' boss, so I stepped down from my management job years ago to become a developer again. But as a very senior developer, I've done all of those other things (mentoring, coordination, cooperation, etc.).
Old man, over 50. I still write code. Still getting paid. It's not a subordinate position. It's my thing that I do.
This is a really weird take. It's not harder to get hired as a manager somewhere than it is as a SWE. Different skill-sets.
unlike younger people who don’t and thus are more vulnerable to corporate exploitation
just a theory
Honestly that’s why a lot of people do consulting gigs. It’s a lot easier to say it was a choice than to explain how you’re a 54 year old AVP.
To be honest, the old people who are obviously fading might be an easier sell to bosses than the ones who are 50, 60, 70+ and still rock solid, because with them, you really have to wonder what went wrong that they're still in the running for subordinate positions. (I mean, there could be—often are—a million reasons why an excellent person's career might go sideways, but bosses aren't usually the forgiving type. They still want to believe the system works, because they are the system.)
Bosses want to feel young again, but they also know that workplace subordination is humiliating and that older people are likely to have figured this fact out, while young people still think they're going to be invited to join the execs within 3 years (which the vast majority of them won't).