What do you mean by to different path ways ?
Figuring out how things should be architected to perform the function, and figuring out out how to implement already architected things into gates, are two very different things.
If you want to design new CPU architectures, then you won't be making things on the die, you will be figuring out necessary instruction sets, register sets, pipelines, etc. This has noting to do with the actual IC design. Your output here is a document for an implementer.
If you want to implement thing on the die, you will likely have noting to do with the architecture. You will be given a document produced by a previous team, and you will have to implement it as stated. There is very little high level creativity in that.
And in a modern world, those things are performed by different companies. At least for MCUs. Simpler logic devices get designed and implemented in-house.
All that is assuming that you can actually find a job doing any this, they are quite rare. There is basically zero demand for new cores. ARM takes the cake, and your best bet is to get a job designing peripherals.
Or get a job at ARM, I guess