I left the w-2 route 4 years ago to try independent consulting, and I’ve hit that ceiling you’ve talked about with recruiters. I’m at $110/hr now, and if I’m lucky on my next gig, I’ll be at 140/hr. But, that is NOT the norm, and these contracts I have won’t last more than a few years.

Taking that next leap to building a brand or starting a company is extremely difficult. I like your idea of partnering with a closer. Most programmers don’t have that skill, and worse, most programmers don’t like sales people. It’s a sign of maturity to realize that good sales people are immensely valuable, and closing is just as much a skill as programming in it’s own right.