Yes, it helps to briefly skim the book &quot;Getting to Yes&quot;. (For those who can&#x27;t spare the funds, it&#x27;s at libgen.) Fear signals a weak bargaining position, and bosses are trained to take advantage of that instinctively. Really, it&#x27;s their daily job (an aspect they unfortunately often find fun).<p>One must have backup plans. If you&#x27;re privileged enough to be a dev, always try to have jobs lined up. (Especially going into a negotiation, where it&#x27;s an option to follow through on the firing threat.) Show your face at local usergroup meetings if you can. Feel the safety of knowing there&#x27;s multiple companies who&#x27;d hire you the next day.<p>Bosses often don&#x27;t give a shit about your productivity per se. They do fear losing perceived &quot;irreplaceable&quot; devs... but you generally have to be one of their first hires, or somehow release some big projects alone which other devs would rather not maintain.<p><i>[Edit]</i> Professional mask: see &quot;Disciplined Minds: A Critical Look at Salaried Professionals and the Soul-Battering System that Shapes their Lives&quot; <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Disciplined_Minds" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Disciplined_Minds</a>