I'm trying to work from oldest comments to newest here to make sure I don't miss anyone, but boy oh boy this has turned into a pretty crazy whirlwind.

I appreciate your support and your comments. Trips are a funny thing, because anyone who goes on one instantly understands that you basically don't get to take a trip at all; it's just a more time sensitive work environment under a heavier microscope, and usually are much more intense with a lot more that can go wrong. But I think influencer culture plays up the benefits, and it would be silly to pretend there's not a ton of privilege in traveling for tasks, even if it is for business. It's not really the main focus of most of the things I do, but it has a direct correlation to our gtm and our b2b partnerships, and requires someone who's cheap, flexible, savvy, and who can leave their home and relationships at the drop of the hat or on weird or frequent schedules often, so some people end up fitting into it naturally.

This is a proposal, which means that it's up for consideration, not that's it's expected. I certainly don't think there's much use in arguing what is or isn't deserved, but I do still want to acknowledge that it's kind of you to see that it is and be encouraging about it. And yes, in terms of the costs of BD and exchange alone, it's probably about three times the cost of this ask over the same time period saved with a conservative estimation.

Either way, it's lovely to hear from someone who is happy to send a genuine compliment apart from any yes or no on the payment issue. This has always been one of my greater motivations 🖤