This must be an online thing. In 15+ years of career I haven't yet heard "real software engineer...". If you get your work done no one cares how the hell you accomplish it
Go changed something, not sure if 20 or 21, where it will download the Go compiler of all your third-party which don’t match yours. It slows things down.
> "Working my ass off as an IC who can't move up the gradient" -> "Principal Investigator, CEO, CTO, CMO, CRO of a 10-person team, captain of creation, actual Iron Man."
* Are you being compensated for all those roles you now do?
* If you do 5x does this mean you get more time for yourself or are you now busy 24/7 with more work?
* Extrapolate this all other "5x" IC, now you all are CEO CTO CMO CRO iron man. Now what?