In this context, a "doer" might commit to an agenda, making ongoing decisions that furthered accomplishment and success on that agenda. While their nominal role is to decide, the decisions they make are organized to effect some end.

In contrast, a "discusser" or "decider" makes decisions in order to satisfy the social role of making decisions, but often with a lack of surety, clarity, follow-through or commitment. Perhaps in fear of missing some greater opportunity, or fear of being credited with some failure, their decisions are not organized in a way that actually effects some end.

Parent is saying there are too many middle managers/execs and not enough engineers with agency.

I don't know why anyone believes that the push for Apple Intelligence was driven by middle management. Sure, engineers could have pushed back because they knew more about the limitations of the tech, but engineers aren't one to understand the macroeconomics driving industry-wide demand and long-term growth.

> engineers aren't one to understand the macroeconomics driving industry-wide demand and long-term growth

It’s a two way street. Managers can only see the forest, but engineers are capable of seeing both the forest and the trees.

I’d be surprised to find “middle managers” at all among the top 100 senior leaders of a company with 150k+ employees,

Not currently, sure, but that path is typically how they get there.

Or in HN parlance, "MBA management".