I recently told the MacAdmins podcast that when I applied to work at the Apple Store in 2008, I didn't know anything about computers and I had never used a Mac before.
That's not entirely true. I've actually been using Macs for most of my life.
Moving from management to individual contributor isn't a demotion or a step backward. It's a deliberate choice to align your work with what you actually want to do.
Leaving behind nearly a decade of institutional knowledge means trading expertise for curiosity. This post explores the discomfort and growth that comes from no longer being the one with all the answers.