This System Turns Developers Into Respected Consultants

From proving yourself daily… to clients proving they deserve YOU

When was the last time you paused and thought, “No matter how far I climb, I still feel like I’m trying to prove I belong here”?

• Prove it in the technical interview.
• Prove it in the performance review.
• Prove it every, friggin’ day—just to keep your tech job.

But what if companies had to prove to YOU they were worth working with?

That’s what happens when you become a premium consultant.

This isn’t freelancing, or billing by the hour for whatever random work someone wants done.

You choose:

• Who to work with
• What to work on
• They sign YOUR contract

I stumbled upon this way of making money in tech about 10 years ago.

That day, I was sitting in a startup’s conference room in downtown Austin. Joined by 5 other developers, the CEO was beaming about the new product he’d hired us to build.

“This product is projected to make millions in it’s first year. You should all be proud to be a part of it!”

But I just sat there thinking, “Proud? You want me to be proud of making YOU rich?”

I looked around the table at the other devs, all stone-faced and I wondered:

“Is anyone else buying this?”

That’s the moment it hit me: If my work could generate that kind of revenue, why was I still just getting paid by the hour?

I realized that I wasn’t being underpaid because I lacked skills. I was underpaid because I didn’t know how to position those skills as business value.

That moment kicked off a journey that turned me from a task doer, to a trusted advisor. Today, I help other experienced developers do the same—without quitting their day jobs.

10 Steps To Transition from Tech Employee to Premium Consultant

Step 1: Discover the most valuable work in your tech career

Most devs think tech knowledge is what makes them valuable. It’s not.

Your impact is. And that impact can be mapped to four kinds of business value: growth, efficiency, risk reduction, and user satisfaction.

Start by listing your proudest career moments. Then ask: what business result did this create?

This step alone changes everything. It shifts your focus from tools to outcomes.

Step 2: Select a consulting offer you can deliver to multiple clients

From your list of business wins, pick one thing you could see yourself doing over and over.

This isn’t about finding the “perfect” offer. It’s about finding something you can test. Think of it as a draft—something you can improve with each client.

Step 3: Identify who needs your consulting offer to solve their problem

A “prospect” is someone who could buy your offer. Not just anyone with the problem. Someone who has budget and decision-making power.

That’s usually not a dev. Think: product managers, directors, engineering leads, or business stakeholders.

This isn’t about networking broadly. It’s about targeting smartly.

Step 4: Find prospects to invite to a consulting discovery call

Now that you know who your buyer is, the next question is: where do they hang out?

Everyone is on LinkedIn, so it might feel like that’s a safe bet. Consider Slack communities, subreddits, professional groups, or niche forums. These can be even better.

Your job is to go where they’re already looking for help with their problems, and openly talking about them.

Step 5: Prequalify which prospects are ready to buy your consulting offer

This is where it gets real. You initiate contact.

Don’t pitch. Don’t push. Be helpful, relevant, and respectful of the space you’re in. The goal is to earn a conversation—not make a sale.

Eventually, invite them to a short Zoom or phone call to understand their problem better.

That first call? It’s not a sales pitch.

It’s a discovery conversation. Ask them about their challenges. Take notes. Understand how painful the problem is. If it’s a fit, invite them to a follow-up where you’ll walk them through a proposed solution.

Step 6: Personalize the pitch for sale to specific prospects

Before your next call, tailor your offer based on what you learned.

You don’t need a new service—just tweak how you present it. Keep it aligned to the business outcome they care about, and make the pricing simple.

The other thing to tackle is “How much do I charge?”

Forget hourly billing.

Use public research or internal data to estimate the business value of solving their problem. Then price your offer as a percentage of that value.

Example: If your work could save them $50,000, a 10–30% fee is fair. That’s how you earn $300/hr without ever charging by the hour.

Step 7: Close the deal with a prospect who wants your consulting offer

Once you’ve confirmed your prospect is a fit, it’s time to present your offer. This isn’t a hard sell—it’s a logical next step.

You already know their pain. Now, walk them through the transformation you’re offering and what it will take to get there. Be transparent about pricing, and tie it directly to the business outcome they care about.

Think of this like a product demo. You’re not convincing them to want something. They already do! You’re just showing them how your solution works, what it costs, and inviting them to take action.

If they say yes, send the contract. No pressure. Just clarity and confidence. That’s how consultants close.

Step 8: Deliver the outcome by serving your consulting client

Delivering your offer as a consultant is completely different from doing work as an employee. Employees worry about how they look, how their work reflects on them, and whether it will lead to a promotion. Consultants think differently.

Your focus shifts from “How will this make me look?” to “How will this make my client look?”

Your job is to help them shine. To solve the problem in a way that earns them recognition, momentum, or even a promotion. When you do that, you’re not just delivering a task—you’re delivering transformation.

This mindset eliminates politics, posturing, and second‑guessing. It becomes about one thing: Serve the client. Deliver the outcome.

And if you’re someone who hates corporate games, you’re going to love consulting. It removes the noise and lets you focus on meaningful work that creates real impact.

Step 9: Collect a testimonial to build trust with future consulting clients

Once you’ve delivered your consulting offer and your client is thrilled, it’s time to ask for something most developers forget: a testimonial.

As employees, we’re used to waiting around for performance reviews, hoping someone says something nice. But consultants take the lead. You want your client to speak to the results you delivered—and what it was like to work with you.

That social proof is your most powerful marketing tool. It removes doubt for future prospects and makes selling easier.

Don’t settle for logos or vague praise. Ask your client to share what problem they had, how you helped, and the measurable impact they experienced.

This isn’t just about celebration. It’s business development.

Step 10: Reflect on how to improve your consulting business

You did it! You sold your first offer, delivered real value, and collected a testimonial.

Now comes the part that turns this into a business—reflection and iteration.

Take a moment to run your own retrospective. What went well? What was harder than expected? What feedback did you get that could improve your offer?

You’re a team of one now. Nobody else will call a meeting to help you improve. But this step is where you turn your proof of concept into a repeatable, premium consulting service.

You already know the rhythm: try something, get feedback, improve. That’s not just agile development. It’s agile consulting. And now you’re doing it on your own terms.