Yury Molodtsov

COO and Partner @ MA Family, where we run communications for tech startups and VC firms.

About Me
Twitter ↗
Mastodon ↗

How To Recognize Grifters

Serious people list facts. Grifters list tags that can elevate their social status.

July 12, 2023

Grifters have one specific thing in common. Not all of them, but as soon as I see this, I don’t expect them to be serious people. Instead of showing concrete facts and achievements, they list “tags” in their bio and profiles.

“Serial entrepreneur”. “Mentor”. “Web3/Blockchain/AI”. “Founder”(without the name of the company).

This isn’t helpful information. It’s just status signaling. Anything that can help them perceived more important in a certain social group.

Focus on the facts.

life

If you liked this post, subscribe to get new content right in your inbox!

Read More

  • Basecamp is a Contrarian Marketing Operation

    Basecamp is well-known not because of its product but because its founders heavily leverage marketing and communications, eventually turning into contrarian marketing machines producing edgy posts and starting crusades just to get everyone’s attention.

  • Web Apps Are Better Than No Apps

    There’s a certain community in tech that’s very vocal about their preference toward native apps. I share that sentiment, yet sometimes people take this idea too religiously. Unfortunately, the actual choice is about having an app or not, and I'd rather take something over nothing.

  • Sorry, But Google Meet Is Better Than Zoom

    It seems that we're finally getting out of this weird period of collective gaslighting where people tried to convince everyone Zoom was the best conference app out there.

  • Finalist: A Simpler To-do App

    Finalist is built for people who liked keeping all their tasks in Apple Notes but wanted it just a bit more structured.

  • Omnivore Review: An Underrated Read-Later App

    I sometimes see people using Pocket, Instapaper, or Safari’s Reading List even though all of them have been practically abandoned and the first two definitely don’t deserve a subscription. I reviewed Readwise Reader and Matter earlier, but they only work properly if you pay. It’s not for everyone, so I wanted to tell you about Omnivore, a rapidly-developed read-later app.