That's why you have regular HNers like patio11 arguing that the way to make it as a consultant is to own your business outcomes. If you frame a project to a cli

That's why you have regular HNers like patio11 arguing that the way to make it as a consultant is to own your business outcomes. If you frame a project to a client as "you have X problem. I solved a similar problem X' for another company using solution Y, and it led directly to a $Z increase in revenue", then as long as $Z > your rate they can appreciate what a no-brainer it is to hire you. Of course, it's much easier to navigate yourself into that sort of position if you're an external consultant than if you're a salaried engineer whose manager hands you specs. Figuring out how to make that shift within the confines of a larger company's bureaucracy is phenomenally difficult.