I just witnessed something that made me angry.
A DTC founder I know got sued by a "CRO expert" for $50,000.
Not because the expert delivered results. Not because they created amazing landing pages.
The founder got sued for refusing to pay after receiving ZERO deliverables in 3 months.
The "expert" had promised multiple high-converting landing pages. Instead? Endless back-and-forth, missed deadlines, and eventually... nothing.
When the founder finally pulled the plug, the lawsuit came.
Here's what's worse... this isn't even unusual anymore.
The industry's dirty secret
The current state of marketing "expertise":
Agencies charging $15K+ for landing pages that never materialize
"Growth experts" promising 300% ROI with zero proof of past success
Consultants hiding behind complex jargon when results don't show
Founders getting burned, then becoming skeptical of ALL marketing help
The real cost isn't just money... it's trust.
When founders get scammed once, they become nearly impossible to work with. They question every recommendation. They micromanage every decision. They hesitate on investments that could actually grow their business.
We're destroying our own industry from the inside.
Why I do things differently
This lawsuit mess reminded me why I built my business on these non-negotiables:
Value before payment:
I show results before asking for bigger investments
Free tools and insights shared immediately
Transparent reporting on every dollar spent
If you don't see clear ROI, I walk away
A few weeks ago, I shared lovable.dev with a client - an AI tool that builds landing pages through chat. It helped them build high-converting pages in days instead of months, without the $15K agency fee.
Most agencies would never share tools like this. They'd rather charge you for work AI can do in minutes.
I'd rather show you with the best tools and focus on strategy that actually needs human expertise. Trust is worth more than any single project fee.
How to protect yourself (and still grow)
You don't need to spend $50K to test if someone can help you grow.
Start smart:
Begin with small, measurable tests
Demand transparency in all reporting
Work with people who share wins AND failures
Choose partners who care about your success, not just their retainer
Run from these red flags:
Promises of specific results without understanding your business
Large upfront payments for "strategy development"
Agencies that won't share any client results or case studies
Anyone who gets defensive when you ask detailed questions
The bottom line
The marketing industry has a trust problem. Too many "experts" are optimizing for their bank account instead of your growth.
Good founders are getting burned by bad actors, and it's making everyone cynical about getting the help they actually need.
I wrote this because I'm tired of watching it happen. We need to do better as an industry... starting with transparency, delivering value upfront, and caring about outcomes more than retainers.
If this resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What I’m working on
Interesting links
Talk soon,
Kris