Two solutions I have seen (thanks to the news):
1. Be being a world-class academic on a hot ML topic consulting to a huge tech company at a strategic level
2. Be the prime minister of a G8 country and consult for global investment firms
If you're a software engineer or even engineering leader at a startup/SME you're not going to find these contracts unless you're in the 0.001% of the market for a niche skill that's desperately in need.
Edit: Maybe you're unaware of the term https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/sole-contractor, I was talking about a single person consulting, not a contract developer or whatever
Again, I’m talking about consulting, not contracting. Those are different. If you don’t know the difference then here’s a definition of a consultant https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/consultant
Now, to a layman, these may look identical. To a consultant, these are vastly different things.
You are not paid on output, you are paid on outcome.
Unless you mean the arbitrage of doing this from different countries with more favourable tax/COL?
If you’re wondering how to be a consultant, you won’t get FAANG money. If you know how to be a consultant, it’s a matter of finding the right clientele and/or hiring a sales rep for their clientele.
Most ppl in contracting are just interested in FTE work, with a better rate, tax framework, less office politics, etc. Very few want to go full Cognizant.