Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1357IR // #c1357Synthesis

"They were direct, intentional visitors who knew where they were going and what they wanted to find."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You're tempted to inflate traffic or user numbers with visitors who don't care about you.

[Why it matters]

Portnoy turned down a link-sharing program that would have padded traffic. Drive-by clicks didn't buy T-shirts. People who came on purpose bought merch, commented and stayed, and that was what investors paid for.

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

#c1549The Cathartic Purge and the Shadow of TranquillityUse when a strategy session or research team is prematurely locked into a dogmatic narrative and needs a…From Lives of Eminent Philosophers #c1515The Pilot's Orders (Reciprocity of Perfect Virtues vs. Blind Subordinate Virtues)Evaluating executive candidates who claim "brilliant judgment" despite glaring personal vices, or designing…From Handbook of Platonism #c1446Fund Your Rival's Hype To Export HimWhen a loud rival pitches a risky pet venture to the board, second the motion and transfer him the headcount.From The Hobbit #c1441What The Giant Drops Arms The UnderdogWhen competing against an incumbent ten times your size, target the manual handoffs and low-value accounts…From The Hobbit