Should I Aim to Become a CEO, or Return to Focus on Coding?

This is an "existential question" that many tech professionals encounter. There's no standard answer to it; it's more like asking yourself: "Which kind of life brings you a greater sense of accomplishment?"

We can imagine these two roles as being part of filmmaking:

Being a CEO is like being a film director. A director's core job isn't to act themselves or operate the camera. Their work involves finding a good script (business model), securing investment (funding), assembling the most suitable team (actors, cinematographers, lighting crew), and then ensuring everyone works towards a common goal to ultimately produce a successful film. Every day, they deal with various people issues, financial matters, and resource coordination. If the film succeeds, they get the most credit; if it fails, they bear the greatest responsibility. They might not touch a camera for a long time, and their sense of accomplishment comes from the birth of the "work" and its market recognition.

Focusing on coding is like being a top technical expert, such as a VFX Supervisor. Their mission is to tackle the most challenging visual effects in a film. They need an extreme pursuit of technical excellence, constantly learning new tools and algorithms. When they bring a stunning effect to life through lines of code that no one has achieved before, that joy is deeply felt. Their sense of accomplishment comes from technical breakthroughs and direct contributions to the quality of the work. They don't need to overly concern themselves with the film's budget or schedule, but they are responsible for their technical output.

So, you can ask yourself a few questions:

1. What is your source of happiness? Is it solving a complex technical problem and writing elegant code that gives you more satisfaction? Or is it convincing a client, securing an investment, or seeing team members grow under your leadership that brings you a greater sense of accomplishment?
2. What do you dislike? Do you dislike endless meetings, dealing with complex interpersonal relationships, and handling various trivial matters? Or do you dislike constantly changing product requirements or technical solutions being dictated by non-experts?
3. How do you want to spend your day? Is most of your time spent communicating with people, thinking about strategy and the market? Or can you mostly sit down quietly and focus on solving a specific problem?

In reality, these two paths are not black and white.

You can first try taking on more "quasi-managerial" responsibilities within your team, such as leading a project, becoming a Tech Lead, or participating more in product and business discussions. See if you enjoy the process. If you find yourself enjoying it and are good at handling the "people" and "things" involved, then you might have the potential to develop into a CEO. If you find these tasks greatly drain your energy, leave you no time to delve into technology, and make you feel irritable, then perhaps becoming a top technical expert or architect would make you happier.

Finally, remember this: whether you become a CEO or a top programmer, excelling in either path can lead to great success and wealth. The key is which path makes you wake up every morning feeling energized rather than stressed. Choose the direction that allows you to maintain your passion long-term.