The post-ZIRP observation resonates. Building a bootstrapped SaaS in Europe right now, I've noticed investors increasingly ask for verified metrics not just screenshots, but API-connected dashboards. It's almost like the market is self-correcting by making due diligence cheaper to do properly.

The real problem with façading is the selection effect downstream: founders who inflate metrics attract investors who expect inflation, creating a system where honesty becomes a competitive disadvantage. You end up filtering out exactly the people you'd want on your cap table.

Business as usual for the west.

Talk about every other countries ethics while being the number one thief through narrative capture