That’s a fair and valuable perspective — and I agree: in most cases, devs shouldn’t work for free, especially when the company holds all the leverage. I probab

That’s a fair and valuable perspective — and I agree: in most cases, devs shouldn’t work for free, especially when the company holds all the leverage. I probably should’ve framed it better: this isn’t meant to say “my time has no value.” It’s a strategic offer, one I can afford to make selectively, to bypass hiring theater and move fast with teams I genuinely want to work with. It’s not scalable, and I’m not asking every company to do it. It’s also not for test builds or code screens — it’s for real work, with real stakes. And yes, if it leads to continued work, it’s paid at full rate or better. I think of it less as “free labor” and more as “earned trust through action”, with a sharp boundary: if it’s not a fit, we part ways after a day. If it is, we both win. I appreciate your pushback — seriously. Framing matters, and you’re right to highlight what gets lost when “free” becomes the default.