The truth is that these are all meaningless titles once you consider people change jobs. Some people won’t accept ever going to a lesser position and stay at a company(unless forced out by circumstance) but those who switch generally experience some reshuffling in “rank” when they leave.
If you left the company you work for right now(other than to start your own company) you could find yourself as a staff engineer(one level below) somewhere with an accelerated path to the next level maybe, or in an equivalent role, although this is more difficult just because there are fewer positions and more filters to being hired.
If you left the company you work for right now(other than to start your own company) you could find yourself as a staff engineer(one level below) somewhere with an accelerated path to the next level maybe, or in an equivalent role, although this is more difficult just because there are fewer positions and more filters to being hired.