> The company wouldn't employ you if you weren't providing them more than you cost them. Well yes, but actually no. "The company" has no idea how much value yo

> The company wouldn't employ you if you weren't providing them more than you cost them. Well yes, but actually no. "The company" has no idea how much value you provide, and even if it did, the value you provide to "the company" and the value you provide to your immediate management chain (who is likely to make hiring/firing decisions almost autonomously at the IC level) are entirely different. Empire building is the first thing that springs to mind.