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let’s assume that i have access to speaking about something to a lot of people.
you’d have seen me talk about some good food place and asking you to try one specific dish. i don’t talk about every place though.
i gatekeep some of the best places because i frequent those places, they do good, i am a good patron and i know they’re not gonna go bankrupt.
some? those are hole in the wall places. they’re struggling to meet their ends. i like the place. i like the people running those spaces. they don’t have the crowd they deserve, or i don’t want them to take off a menu item because it doesn’t have takers even though it’s absolutely awesome. i want them to keep it.
i talk about them so that it does two good things. first, everyone knows the awesome food, enjoy the happiness and i selfishly get to enjoy
two? the business survives and my selfish desire to still get my happiness, wins.
should i put # ad here? hell no.
now lets take another use case.
someone whom i don’t know wants access to my reach to people. they’re willing to pay me for that and want me to promote something.
should i put an # ad or sponsored by? yes.
why? to protect my own reputation and also to ensure that i am clear of all liabilities. plus i also inform the audience that i am doing this as a transaction and they’ve to do their own due diligence.
does it mean ads are bad? no, i learnt about one place which makes sundresses in india from rida when i was looking to buy one for my gf from bay area. i have bought a lot of things from relevant ads.
i discover new stuff from ads. it provides me a different view point than from what i see from commercial professional cinematic ads.
now let’s come to the next use case.
friend whom i know have started something. they need help in ensuring many people want eyes to what they’re doing.
it might lead to more customers, probable investor interest, other business interest etc., tldr: it results in friend’s growth.
they ask me to share it with my circle.
should i do it? yes, if i am willing to risk my reputation. if i am willing to share the liabilities. i know the business is great and i believe in it. it’s not illegal, not something i don’t believe in, works with my ideals and i am happy for my friend.
depending on that, ill accept to do it and will help them out. probably will try it out to ensure if it’s worth staking my reputation on the same.
as long as i take the risk and the liability and wont wash my hands saying that in don’t have any responsibility when things go south,
should i say that’s an ad or a promotion? nope. no need, ive already exposed my reputation here.
so, it doesn’t matter if you’ve paid for it or if you’ve not paid.
it all depends on how much you’re willing to put yourself in risk for.
it can be any of my case study. whether you choose to put it as an ad or not really depends on how much liability and reputational risk you want to dig into.
if i am manichow’s lawyer, would i risk her putting something out like this without a disclaimer?
nope.
but if manichow believes that she has decided to help out her friend and is willing to stake in her reputation and take on liability if something goes bad,
who are we to ask?
on the other hand, i do share about any startup you’re building if i truly believe in the vision and as long as it’s not a blatant scam or another something that everyone’s building
even though 99% of startups would fail - because i truly believe its worth risking your reputation.
you see two founders risking their entire life to build something and you’re so inspired about what they do that you can’t even risk your reputation?
that’s what i feel …
btw, if your friend runs a shitty business,
you’ve a fiduciary (jk) duty to stop them from destroying their life.
slap them, shame them, bully them - if you’re a good friend, you’ll do that.
don’t promote that. don’t help them reach more customers. you’re friend might think their shitty business will work if it has more customers. it won’t, it’s dead.
i’ve literally burnt midnight oil to help fix many of my friend’s businesses for free all because they’re my friends and jason’s friends are never bankrupt. they are all awesome and mthey can never lose in my circle. as long as they heed my words, i’ll put my max effort without any stakes. blood and sweat.
do that. that’s how you build a society of high trust and that which helps you out.
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