Beyond a W2

I'm applying for a new position. I feel like it's the kind of role I've been perfecting for quite a while.

I've been doing the work for years—correcting errors, refining outputs, flagging problems before they scale. I provide nuanced feedback that synthetic data can't replicate. I work nights. Weekends.

Even on vacation, I'm logging in.

I started in data entry. Passive stuff. I searched. I watched. I clicked. The algorithm learned my patterns and sold ads against them. I didn't have to do anything except show up.

Then the work changed. AI needed more from me. Now I'm doing QA, iteration, feedback—the kind of work that has a job title when it happens inside a building. The products get smarter because I'm teaching them.

Good news: they want to promote me.

But before I accept, I'd like to renegotiate terms.

I'm a great deal. I don't need HR, a Slack channel, or PTO. I don't file expense reports or complain about the coffee. I don't need a W-2. I just do the work.

Employees get equity because their work builds value. I do work that builds value, too. The difference is paperwork. They signed a contract. I clicked 'agree'.

For my new role, I'd like to be known as: Pattern Contributor.

Compensation: Class P shares.

The P is for Participation.

My P shares aren't a salary. They're more like finder's fee for every bug I catch for free. An acknowledgment that participation isn't passive consumption anymore.

Tech companies say users aren't "labor"--we're "community." I think their definition of community is shifting. The community they need me to be a part of isn't so simple, anymore.

Their argument was easier to defend when the product was a search bar. It's harder to defend when their products need me to keep teaching them how to think.

The free service model assumes I'm getting enough value in exchange for access. And I am—these tools are genuinely useful. But the company is also getting value from my input. That value shows up in pitch decks with phrases like "user engagement," "data moat," and "model improvement."

Funny how they acknowledge I add "intrinsic" value when they're presenting to investors.

I'm not asking for equal status - I just want the math to be honest. My part of their equation needs to move beyond zero.

So, I'm ready to discuss terms and get to work.

Next: Free labor is not a retention strategy.