Tech has no shortage of meetings, but the 1:1 might be the last one where the truth still shows up. This piece is about protecting that space from sliding into performance theatre, noticing the subtle signs when trust is eroding, and creating enough room for the real stuff: fatigue, pride, hard conversations, and the context that makes great work possible. The 1:1 is the smallest unit of culture you still control. Treat it carefully, protect it, and it will quietly pay back in trust, and the kind of momentum you can’t roadmap.