Ask HN: Is Boxabl a Scam?

I've been following Boxabl's Instagram account for a couple of years now. When I first saw the account, it was peak of the tiny house movement, and I was enamored by the simplicity they seemed to have, and most importantly, the small footprint they take up. The possibilities of affordable housing for thousands seemed to good to be true.

I also happen to be on the Starter Story newsletter, where today I saw that Boxabl was the featured story of this month's newsletter. Boxable has apparently hit 10 million in monthly recurring revenue. "Oh wow!", I thought to myself, "they've finally 'made it'! They're finally shipping product!" Heading to their site, I was a bit disappointed that they still have a waiting list (however they make it all too clear you can make a $200 or even $5000 deposit - hope those numbers aren't going into their illustrious 10 million dollar revenue stream!

So then I think... are they even shipping these homes? I hopped on YouTube, looking for just a single example of someone sharing their Boxabl home. As I scrolled, my doubts began to grow. All the videos were by Boxabl themselves, or a popular YouTuber at the factory and/or a show home example...

And that's when I realized it: Boxabl isn't a real product company. It's a social media company, and it always will be. The revenues they get from 'reservations' and ads are enough to make yet MORE ads, and the cycle feeds off itself. At some point, and probably soon, the company is going to shut its doors, crumble, and as always, a few handful of individuals will take off into the sunset with fat stacks of cash.

So, while the hype is indeed real (all too real), I've yet to see a single customer with proof of a non-show room Boxable home in use in th real world. Such a massive revenue stream has been years in the making, and yet a single house is in a buyers hands. How many millions do you need before shipping product?

Worried this is going to turn out exactly like Mars One: a bunch of empty pockets and crushed dreams.