🤫 The Silent Career Killer #37
“There’s No Room Right Now” | How to structure your own growth path in a flat org (and make it impossible to ignore) | Unmasking 50 hidden threats to your UX career | part 37 of 50
Let’s be real.
You've probably heard some version of this:
“We’d love to support your growth, but the org is really flat.”
“There’s just no leadership headcount at the moment.”
“Hang tight, let’s revisit in a few quarters.”
“You're already operating at a high level. That is the next step.”
Translation?
🟡 There’s no plan for you.
🔴 And no urgency to make one.
Which means:
If you don’t create a growth path, there won’t be one.
Period.
Let’s change that.
First things first ↴
Why Flat Org = Career Stall for UXers
“Flat” sounds nice.
No red tape. No bloated titles. Collaboration everywhere.
But for UXers - especially senior ICs - it often means:
No clear definition of what “growth” looks like
No structured pathway to expand influence or scope
No one advocating for you, unless you push
You end up doing higher-level work… with no recognition, no new title, and no leverage.
The Reframe ↴
You Don’t Need a Promotion Track. You Need a Visibility System.
When the ladder doesn’t exist, you build your own platform.
That means:
Defining your own growth milestones
Creating your own scope-expanding projects
Making your value visible across functions
Positioning yourself as a high-leverage asset—not a delivery resource
You don’t need a title to be seen differently.
But you do need a plan.
Let’s build one.