Startup launch videos become a $200k–$500k slop-agency game of bought quote tweets

tushaarmehtaa · x · 2026-10-22

ybhrdwj reveals that launch videos have become larp-contests: desperate founders pay slop agencies $200k–$500k, who pocket half and spend the rest buying quote tweets to convince investors they've gone viral—sometimes burning 10% of the total raise. The scam works because X counts a view as soon as a video loads, with no 3-second minimum window, and aggregates views to the main post. tushaarmehtaa describes trying to explain to a founder that $100k on a launch video plus 50 paid influencers, with zero talk of customers, team, or product, won't make people care—but the founder insists his launch is different.

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