I would go further and say that even at software companies, even for dev that goes directly into the product, engineering is often seen as a cost center. The l

I would go further and say that even at software companies, even for dev that goes directly into the product, engineering is often seen as a cost center. The logic is simple, if unenlightened: "What if we had cheaper/fewer nerds, but we made them nerd harder?" So while working in a revenue center is advantageous, you still have to be in one that doesn't view your kind as too fungible.