A16Z partner: fake it ‘til you make it

FTT:

A few examples: 1) Uber launched by going to black car companies and paying drivers to be available on Uber during certain hours, ensuring that riders would be able to find a ride.

2) Relationship Hero, a relationship coaching marketplace, scaled to dozens of customers with just one coach--its cofounder! But the website listed 10 fake coaches, to give users the sense that it was a more active platform with diverse coaches who fit their particular situation.

3) Beepi, which was a used car marketplace, had a massive chicken and egg problem in attracting sellers and buyers initially. To solve this, the founders went out and purchased used cars to seed the supply side. After a few months, they moved to the marketplace model.

A reply:

The examples in this thread are really something — #2 was lying, bordering on fraud, and #3 burned through $75m in 18 months before going out of business.

https://twitter.com/michaelshafrir/status/108676474531371417...

Makes me think of Theranos...