My employer changed a material term of my employment that I negotiated for when I joined the company and by doing so, saved themselves ~20-25% of my all in cost

My employer changed a material term of my employment that I negotiated for when I joined the company and by doing so, saved themselves ~20-25% of my all in cost. I used that opportunity as a jump off point to renegotiate my compensation. They said they'd consider it and came back to me very quickly, saying there was nothing they could do. 6 months later, I had a new job offer. On the day I was going to resign, they gave me a raise (they probably knew a about my displeasure, but not the job offer). I thanked them, showed them the offer and told them I couldn't ignore the difference in comp. Then, I asked if they could do better. So, they gave me another raise. Then, I asked them if they could do better and... You get the point. I am good at my job and before this point in my career, got recognized in every way possible, other than financially. However, for whatever reason, the only way I could get any financial validation was to have leverage, which in this case was another job. In the case where you are negotiating a new opportunity, your leverage is whether or not you'll take the job. In my case, my leverage was another great opportunity for a lot more money. I suspect I'm not the only one on HN that focuses on doing a great job and not on directly advancing their career. So, my advice to you is always have leverage when negotiating and don't be afraid to use it. However, there are 2 caveats. 1. You have to be willing to take the other job - your company may not be interested in retaining you. 2. Having a job offer is very different than just being disgruntled, from the company perspective. But, tread lightly, you want to come across as wanting to stay, but unable to ignore the financial or professional disparity