The author reflects on personal experiences with compensation and respect within the workplace, starting with a comparison between their salary as a VP and that of a friend, a COO, who earns 30% less despite being a more skilled engineer. The disparity stems from timing; the friend joined his company earlier and was positioned in a senior role, while the author entered during a different phase of the organization’s growth. This highlights a common trend where earlier hires often receive higher titles and pay, regardless of their actual skill level. The author contrasts their own job satisfaction and respect in their role with their friend’s struggles, noting that the friend faced challenges in executing his duties without support from upper management. This raises questions about the alignment of respect and pay within organizations. The author feels guilty about their higher earnings compared to friends who work long hours in physically demanding jobs, emphasizing that the current economic systems create significant income disparities that are often unjustifiable. The piece also touches on broader issues in the tech industry, using Apple’s impressive revenue per employee figure of $2.5 million to illustrate the disproportionate value assigned to tech roles compared to other sectors, which average around $170,000. The author acknowledges the complexity of these disparities, stating that while leaders must manage budgets and compensation, they must also confront the discomfort of their own worth and contributions. The conversation leads into the topic of imposter syndrome, where even high performers grapple with self-doubt, complicating their understanding of their own value in the workplace.