The Middle Management Mirage: When "People Managers" Manage to Do Nothing

I often find myself wondering: if AI is truly the future, why hasn't it replaced middle management yet? I mean, isn't that the logical step? A well-tuned Responsible AI could probably do their job better—efficiently delegating tasks, tracking progress, and most importantly, not interfering with the brilliant Individual Contributors (ICs) who are actually, you know, getting things done.

If you work in tech—especially in enterprise software, whether product or services—you've likely encountered the same phenomenon. These "people managers" who are somehow entrusted with overseeing high-functioning teams despite having no discernible skills beyond scheduling meetings and writing performance reviews riddled with corporate buzzwords. If they were removed from the equation tomorrow, would anyone even notice? (Other than HR scrambling to rename their job roles to something even more vague, of course.)

I dream of a future—hopefully sooner rather than later—where true leadership exists to set vision, inspire teams, and even get their hands dirty when needed. Meanwhile, an army of exceptional ICs, unburdened by unnecessary layers of "management," delivers and over-delivers. Imagine a world without bloated bureaucracy, where talent is rewarded based on impact, not on someone's ability to play organizational Tetris with headcount numbers.

Of course, we aren't quite there yet. But looking around, I’m convinced this is where we’re headed. The inefficiency of the current system is too obvious to ignore for much longer.

Take, for instance, one of my previous managers. Their qualifications? A degree in English (cool), a stint as a farm worker (unexpected), and then—somehow, inexplicably—a sudden leap into middle management at a major SaaS company. No technical background, no curiosity to learn, just an overflowing supply of insecurity and a misplaced sense of authority. This person, with zero shame, was tasked with overseeing a team of highly skilled ICs with impressive educational and professional credentials. Every conversation with them felt like an act of self-betrayal. And yet, we endured, because... well, bills exist.

I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone.

So, what does the future look like for ICs in high-value roles—SaaS, AI, Blockchain, and beyond? I have hope. The writing is on the wall for redundant middle management. As companies prioritize efficiency and actual results, the days of the glorified calendar managers might just be numbered. The best ICs will thrive, as they should, without unnecessary friction.

The question isn’t if, but when. And when it happens, we’ll raise a toast to AI—or at least, to the moment when leadership actually meant something again.

What do you think? Is the middle management extinction event near, or are we stuck with these gatekeepers of nothingness for a while longer?