The Peterman Pod Meta Senior Staff (IC7) Eng's Honest Demotion Story
23 snips
Jan 23, 2026 Join Igor as he shares his unique journey of requesting a demotion at Meta, revealing the intricacies of senior-level expectations. He contrasts the cultures of Meta and Google, highlighting the pressures and challenges each environment presents. Discover why he values coding and mentorship over promotions and the unexpected lessons from his projects. Igor also reflects on career regrets and offers sage advice for those navigating the corporate landscape. It's a candid discussion on career choices and the realities of tech life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Asked For A Voluntary Demotion
- Igor realized after joining Meta that he was closer to E6 work than E7 and asked management for a demotion.
- The company said dropping a level within the same job category was not a polished process and initially refused.
What E7 Really Requires
- Senior staff expectations include deep domain expertise, broad relationships, and system-level knowledge that are hard to gain quickly.
- Igor judged he had at most reached E6 performance after a year-plus at Meta.
Coding Versus Leadership Tradeoff
- Igor discovered he enjoyed hands-on coding, debugging, designing, and mentoring more than E7 leadership duties.
- That realization made him prefer operating at E5–E6 levels where coding is central.