I've been in Silicon Valley my entire career. What I know:

1-There's the superficial level pay it forward, which all engage in because they want to fit in culturally.

2-Then there's the REAL pay it forward. The career-making kind. That's reserved for a tiny subset of people.

Despite my connectivity, I've rarely been privy to pay it forward type 2. I didn't fit certain criteria. Only after I gained traction, did I start to get exposure to type 2. The more success you have, the more you're included in type 2. That's the way of Silicon Valley, at least.

You know those folks on Twitter that didn't acknowledge your existence 6 months ago and now you're BFFs? And 6 months from now, the ones that don't acknowledge you now probably will? Pay it forward works just like that.

I've heard folks talk about pay it forward a lot recently (eg on CH). It can be triggering/insulting for a lot of communities because it's out of reach for most. It's important to acknowledge that, even if there are no immediate or overnight solutions to the problem.