Despite everything, I’m still glad to be here. I’ve met a lot of good people through this space, and they deserve as much recognition as the worst of it gets attention. Some things deserve a little grace; others require you to hold your ground, even when it costs you. Knowing the difference matters if you intend to stay and build something worthwhile. Those of us thinking beyond the next cycle still have a say in what this space becomes. The human side sometimes takes longer to develop than the technology. We each get to choose what we use, who we support and where we put our time. I’m grateful for the people I’ve found here, and I still see plenty worth building for. It’s often frustrating, especially when the progress you care about is slower than the noise around it, but I never expected anything worth building to happen overnight.