Had a similar dilemma to you a few years ago, except that my background was predominantly based in large organisations, i'd never worked in a startup or worked

Had a similar dilemma to you a few years ago, except that my background was predominantly based in large organisations, i'd never worked in a startup or worked for myself as a contractor. I chose the contract route and was able string a number of contracts together (sequentially) with rates between £750 - £900pd. (annually ~£170k - £205k). Contracting can be pretty lucrative depending on your PAYE earning potential. I was earning £126k basic (Director, Senior Solutions Architect) in a large banking organisation when I jumped, so the pay increase was significant. Checking the current rates in my inbox from this week alone, I see CTO level day rates up around ~£1500pd, which is significantly over your target of £175k. Just be mindful of getting some decent IR35 insurance setup and having a contract assessment by a reputable company to be confident of a status determination should HMRC decide to take a look. Best of luck