You need to passively attract the attention of multiple potential employers with lots of money — either revenue or funding — and then let them outbid each other

You need to passively attract the attention of multiple potential employers with lots of money — either revenue or funding — and then let them outbid each other until you find your true maximum market value. That means getting found by sourcers (recruiters) without explicitly making contact with them. Recruiters are, alas, still prejudiced against active candidates when you are trying to claw your way up the seniority ladder. You need to show up in their searches somehow e.g. sign up for tech talks / seminars, update your LinkedIn and visit their LI profiles (LI will tell the recruiter / exec that you are looking at their profile, unless you have a pro account.) None of this is particularly duplicitous. If you don’t have the chops you won’t get an offer. But it certainly helps tip the negotiation in your favour a little bit.