How long does it take to acknowledge the existence of someone you know who has reached out to you directly with a question or comment? I get that people are busy, and that we all get plenty of spam online. I also get that high-level executives feel like their very valuable time (more valuable than yours, of course) should not, under any circumstances, be wasted. I even get that sometimes a note from a friend or acquaintance slips through the cracks even when you have the best intentions to respond.