**On Misconceptions Big Shots Have About Ping** A lot of big shots in the community analyze x402 and ping from a technical perspective. Some say it disregards decentralization, some talk about compliance risks, others claim the protocol itself is unlikely to go mainstream, blah blah blah. These big shots are great people, but they’ve fallen into a mental trap. The true nature of a project can only determine its endgame, but it doesn’t dictate the journey. Even things that won’t make it in the endgame can still make money during the journey. And how that journey plays out depends on retail investors’ emotions. 99.99% of projects in the crypto space won’t make it in the endgame, but they’re all about making money during the journey. That’s why studying short-term retail sentiment, external liquidity injections, and the resonance of narratives is far more important than analyzing a project’s endgame. Digging out a piece of crap from a cesspool and shouting loudly: ‘This is a piece of crap!’ That’s basically saying nothing. Digging out a piece of crap from a cesspool and whispering: ‘I’ve got a way to sell this crap for the price of diamonds tomorrow.’ Now *that’s* skill.