Bringing lots of value as a W2

by Dale Davidson March 18, 2026

Yesterday, I wrote about hoop jumping and how succeeding as a W2 employee means doing lots of random dumb things to get promoted.

That's true for many, but if you can cut through the BS and deliver unambiguous value, you can be successful. More importantly, it's the same stuff that will give you leverage as a 1099.

A reader reached out to me saying he was increasing his value to his employers and clients which has been rewarded with raises and promotions.

I asked what he was doing exactly and here is what he said:

First and foremost, doing good work by my customers and colleagues. One of my coworkers and I were recognized by our PM as essentially saving a project. This was great for my year end review (which correlates directly to raises).
Taking ownership on projects that have goals that are hard to define or the customer doesn’t really know the CONOP. If I do good work in these situations, I effectively become a SME for the customer, my colleagues, and management.
Getting involved in business development and proposals, interacting with the customers. Being able to switch between technical and “business” has been a boon for me.
Be willing to jump companies every 1-3 years. I don’t like this necessarily, but I have to be working on a problem that is interesting to me to really engage. I have to chase the work I think is challenging or important. This typically comes with a raise.

Basically, if you do the following you can be successful as a W2:

Know your stuff (become a SME)
Develop good relationships with your client
Be an excellent communicator
Bring in money

These are the exact same things that will give you leverage to go 1099 AND make you successful as a 1099.

The perks of doing this as a 1099 is that you get more autonomy and capture more of the value you bring to the table.

So don't jump through hoops, instead, bring unambiguous value to your company and you will be successful.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.