the senior engineer death spiral

The post describes a common failure mode after a new job, promotion, or large project: an engineer tries to act more senior, disappears for long stretches, and compensates by working in silence. That pattern can lead to missed meals, lost sleep, strained relationships, burnout, PIP, firing, or quitting.

The suggested response is to step back and become the best teammate for a while. Share what you are working on, assume good faith from coworkers, focus on momentum instead of outcomes, and do smaller useful tasks that help the team. Over time, steady daily work rebuilds trust, stamina, and the reputation that leads to bigger responsibilities.

Reading notes

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• A new role, promotion, or big project can trigger a “senior engineer death spiral” when someone tries to prove themselves by taking on too much and working out of sight.
• The spiral is marked by long periods with little visible progress, positive but vague status updates, and growing secrecy around work.
• The cost is personal and professional: sleep loss, depression, skipped meals, strained relationships, burnout, PIP, firing, or resignation.
• The author says this has happened to him too, and that recognizing it early helps him step back and correct course.
• Remote work and looser structure make it easier for others not to know what you are doing, so the remedy is to share your work openly.
• In these moments, the better move is to drop a level and become a strong teammate rather than trying to perform as a higher-level engineer.
• Useful work includes bugs, overlooked tasks, grunt work, organization, and write-ups.
• The goal shifts from outcomes to momentum, with routine and reliability becoming the main way to rebuild stamina.
• Big projects are presented as the result of slow, steady daily work rather than bursts of effort.
• Trust and reputation are the real foundation for getting larger responsibilities later.