This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian Jenney, 42, who lives in California. The following has been edited for length and clarity. When I got into tech in my early 30s, I had no clue how crazy lucrative the industry was. I started as a web application developer in 2015, earning roughly $60,000 a year. Over the years, I became savvier at negotiating my salary , and by 2023, I was making over $250,000. I've earned more than I could have ever imagined, without working in Big