[quesera]

I agree with you, but you might not be aware of some of the crap that happens in small companies with certain kinds of CEOs and salespeople. Others too, but the pubic-facing staff are always the problems.

The harried assistants and lower-level functionaries in those companies regularly field requests like "I'm in a sales meeting/airport terminal/Dunkin Donuts and need to demo something, and I need you do something stupid the wrong way".

So, it's a stupidity tax indeed, and even on the right people (CEO), but it's the assistants who get blamed and/or feel responsible.

Even at bigger and well-run companies, the assistants have stories that would shock you. CEO-speak can often tend toward illiterate and nonsensical, and their requests unreasonable -- even if they can be interpreted correctly. In contrast, COOs and CFOs are pretty reliable. And CTOs run the gamut, I'm sorry to say. :)