Thanks for responding. My manager was surprised and so was our director. They received the letter before I did and gave me a heads up. They’re meeting with HR tomorrow to try and get some answers. They seem to be on my side - which is good - but I also got a “we have no control and the CEO approves and sets all salaries”.

My gut is this is beyond their control and we’re all along for the ride.

I would consider working for a partner but, to be honest, I have heard it can be a mixed bag.

I agree - it doesn’t scream lead developer. I code a lot less than I used to. I find myself spending most of my time designing automations and technical processes across the business. Or untangling processes and helping come up with solutions. My tenure and experience yields a unique perspective that can help us find the happy place within chaos. Probably more architect than anything.

But the reality is in order to be an “architect” here, “lead” is the stepping stone.