There's a similar situation in CG/3D work. I know a number of the artists who felt like you, "I want to be in the trenches, not managing." Like devs, they work crazy hours to finish commercial work. Skipping the management track for some has been painful because there are the young upstarts willing to put in 18 hour days for little pay, just to make a name for themselves. Thus, staying in the trenches has been problematic.