I've noticed most workplaces are "hero-based"[0]. They're generally not all the way on that side of the spectrum, but they're resistant to new process and require developers to paper over poor management (scope changes mid sprint, lack of time for tech debt, lack of time for training, poorly staffed projects, etc).[0]  entire career I've been a generalist and an individual contributor. I'm reconsidering that. I don't think I'd enjoy management, but most places don't really give you time to learn new things... so being a generalist  means you do a lot of "brushing up" on new tech in your spare time (donating time to your employer).My current project had a tech debt policy (X% of the time will be spent on tech debt tickets), which quickly and magically disappeared early on. Is there a way to hold management accountable? I find it strange that tech leadership generally isn't on the same level as middle management, and when they are they have to be so aligned that they allow policies that require extra work from developers like this.Management always talks a good game, but somehow there always seem to be deadlines that are moved up, new tech that needs our dedication, or fires we predicted that we need to scramble to clean up. Even with cookie-cutter biweekly postmortems we still can't seem to get a system that prevents most of these issues outright (we really want to though, and your feedback matters).Looking for strategies to avoid these problems at new companies, to push back against them, or at least protect my free time. I really don't want to be a stickler making a ticket for every defect, refusing to work on new projects, or otherwise digging my heels in... but my good will has been stretched thin and I have personal goals to get on with.Thanks for reading and any suggestions or strategies.