Does faking MRR really help a business grow? [mini-case study example]
This is rooted in psychology.
When you show that there is enormous interest in something, a crowd of people will flock and want to see it.
I woke up this morning, and X was full of this message:
"We launched 3h ago and hit $1M ARR just now."
Some were confused, others claimed that it was a good marketing trick.
Apparently, it was a false statement, but such marketing had almost 1M views. Distribution is good.
The question is:
Will it damage the brand's reputation too much? (if it's not true)?
And maybe an additional question – what if a harmless lie that is supposed to create a sensation really helps the hype so much that people start buying things for real?
I often see this on social networks as well, when the "impression of popular posts is created.)
Replies
This is just lame. This is done to trick algos, but the trust it erodes is not worth the temporary spike. I like how a16z think about it - they're in the business of building a reputation. It's done over time and is incredibly hard to build and maintain. One misstep can send you back to the ground floor.
I typically ignore such content and my brain flags them as untrustworthy.
ProblemHunt
Hi Nika! 👋 Just my personal opinion — this approach isn’t long-term. Reputation is built over years, even decades, but can be lost in an instant. Yes, they catch some hype, but such actions are risky for themselves. They’re creating a trap that will be hard to get out of later.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@gostroverhov They started wrong from the very beginning (probably) :DD
Fakeradar
minimalist phone: creating folders
@artem_anikeev Yes, it should be, but this seemed to be for them the easiest way(?) Maybe.
App Finder
I'm not sure what $1M ARR in 3h is supposed to mean.
But faking data and other kinds of lying will sure hurt the reputation, and even if it didn't, it would just be wrong. Success is not all that matters.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@konrad_sx I also don't like when people fake their success like this, because what if the product really has potential but they are ki*lling it by lying and hiding the truth? There's no way to trust such a company.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@tereza_hurtova Or they could put their Stripe link here https://trustmrr.com/ ... after that, we would see the real Flex :D
vibecoder.date
As dishonest as it is.
On the one hand: if it works it works.
on the other...
If this sets a trend, people will not trust that company
minimalist phone: creating folders
@build_with_aj They should put their Stripe link to https://trustmrr.com/ :D
minimalist phone: creating folders
@alberto_luengo I would say that the first one can happen if it is not executed well :D
It is a way to attract attention.
A similar approach I have seen includes
Announcing we got viral on x at Instagram/TikTok, announcing we got viral on TikTok at Instagram/x, announcing we got viral on Instagram at TikTok/X.
If you got attencion, this is a successful move.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@wei_yan4 But it is a difference to announce it when it is true vs when it is not true :D
minimalist phone: creating folders
@ojas_j I think that from their side, it was supposed to be a part of guerrilla marketing.
@busmark_w_nika yeah, i never understood what people mean by that, but there's a lot of it i guess, and in some shape or form even established players engage in that.