If you don't want to go through the added risk and uncertainty of trying to create and run your own business, you can get the parts of the job you seem to enjoy

If you don't want to go through the added risk and uncertainty of trying to create and run your own business, you can get the parts of the job you seem to enjoy by looking for positions as a "Professional Services Engineer", which is usually a weighted blend of consulting, engineering, and sales (in that order). Professional Services Engineers also tend to be better compensated than their internal product engineering counterparts because the PS Engineers are closer to the revenue stream (their $$$ time is billable to the customer, and thus they're a revenue generator for the company), so it's often easier to justify and negotiate for higher comp. You also get to rapidly grow your network of people in industry, and if you're strategic about your relationships and on-site engagements, you can often establish rapport with executive level folks as well. If I look back over my career, the single greatest accelerant along the arc from programmer to co-founder & CEO was my time spent learning, working, and networking as a PS engineer.