A former distinguished Meta engineer says promotions eventually stopped feeling like wins, so he sought a demotion

Philip Su was promoted to distinguished engineer at Meta before seeking a demotion to improve work-life balance and reduce pressure to perform. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images Philip Su was promoted to distinguished engineer at Meta before seeking a demotion. Su said higher levels brought pressure that left him exhausted and under scrutiny. Su said that accepting a career ceiling can lead to more enjoyable work. A top engineer for Big Tech asked for a demotion at the peak of his career. Philip Su, who reached the prestigious " distinguished engineer " or IC9 level at Meta and OpenAI, said on "The Peterman Pod" podcast that promotions lost some of their shine as his career progressed. "The thrill of the promotion itself was no longer the same as when I was younger," Su told show host Ryan Peterman.