It felt nice finding the optimal path. I found it nice as a hook to pay for the whole course, I think I'd enjoy this hands-on approach to learning, congrats for making it feel appealing!

However, I won't pay for the course as I'm only an IC with no realistic path to management. But maybe "transitioning from IC to management" is too small of a niche for this product: sounds like it would be good for managers that want to improve: "strategies for management from an ex-developer" or something like that

Hey, Thanks! I'm really glad the 'game' mechanic landed well. I wanted to avoid the 'video lecture' fatigue.

On the niche size: You make a great point. I targeted 'Transitioning' specifically because that’s usually the moment of maximum pain (and imposter syndrome).

Established managers often feel they've 'figured it out' (even if they haven't!). The transition window is where people are actively looking for a lifeline.

But you're right—at the Staff/Principal IC level, a lot of this just becomes 'Managing Up.' Dealing with a Backchannel VP is a survival skill whether you manage people or just manage architecture!