Every few months the internet finds its next religion.
A new framework drops. A new "agent" tool ships. A new model launches. And within hours, timelines are flooded with the same energy:
"This changes everything."
"This is the future."
"If you're not building with this, you're already behind."
You'd think we just discovered a cure for cancer.
But here's what actually happens: everyone rushes to look like they're building the next big thing... without ever explaining what they're building with substance.
And that's the part nobody wants to talk about.
The Shiny Object Syndrome Isn't Innovation
Most people don't adopt new tools because they have a clear plan.
They adopt them because:
- it's trending
- it gets likes
- it makes them feel early
- it gives them an excuse to post daily "progress"
- it signals they're "in the arena" even if nothing real is happening
- it gets them paid
This isn't building. This is cosplay.
The modern internet rewards activity, not outcomes. So you get an endless stream of "Look what I set up" content:
"I installed it!"
"I connected it to my terminal!"
"I gave it tasks!"
"Here's my dashboard!"
Cool. And... what did it actually produce?
The Secret Behind the Loudest Voices
Here's the uncomfortable truth:
The people yelling the loudest about why you should do something... are often the least qualified to prove it works.
Why? Because they don't need it to work.
They have the biggest follower counts. They're already monetized. They get paid by X (or whatever platform), regardless of whether they actually built anything meaningful.
So they can keep telling you:
"Everyone should be doing this."
Even if they haven't figured out:
- how to generate revenue with it
- what real product it enables
- what workflow it truly replaces
- what measurable edge it creates
- what others can replicate beyond the same demo
They can farm engagement forever. You can't.
You're trying to build a business. They're trying to build momentum.
Different incentives.
My Take on Clawdbot → Moltbot → OpenClaw
Let me be clear: I'm a fan of the idea.
Clawdbot → Moltbot → OpenClaw... conceptually, I get it. I want it to be real. I want "AI employees" to actually be employees—producing output that matters, reliably, in a way that compounds.
But right now, the hype is outrunning the proof.
The basic questions still don't get answered:
- What are you doing with it that has substance?
- How much money are you actually generating?
- What are you actually producing that you couldn't produce before?
- How can others replicate the results in their own way?
Not "How easy is the setup?"
Not "Here's a 90-second video where it writes a README."
Not "Watch it create AI slop faster."
I mean real outcomes. Real leverage. Real business impact.
Because if the entire pitch is "It's easy to set up"—that's not a business. That's a funnel.
Setup Videos Are the New Smoke and Mirrors
We're in an era where "setup" content is a substitute for value.
People post 20-step install tutorials like it's a product.
They post terminal screenshots like it's execution.
They post agent transcripts like it's strategy.
But most of it is just:
- download thing
- run thing
- generate content
- tweet it
- repeat
That's not building. That's not leverage. That's just content production about content production.
And if your tool's biggest use case is "more posts about the tool," that should set off alarms.
Everyone's an Influencer Now
Because the internet pays people to type.
Not to be right.
Not to be honest.
Not to share hard-earned knowledge.
Just to keep the feed moving.
So you end up in a world where:
- people speak confidently with no proof
- vague claims get more reach than real numbers
- "I'm building something big" is the product
- and truth becomes optional
And honestly, I hate that.
Because builders get distracted. Engineers get misled. Founders waste weeks chasing tools that don't move the needle.
The Only Question That Matters
Here's the question I ask now whenever a new shiny thing drops:
Does this create measurable outcomes... or just measurable engagement?
Outcomes look like:
- revenue
- speed improvements with proof
- reduced headcount needs
- increased conversion
- lower costs
- clearer decision-making
- repeatable systems that others can learn from
Engagement looks like:
- viral demos
- "AI agent" cosplay
- infinite "day 3 of building..." threads
- no numbers
- no repeatability
- no real users
- no real constraints
If it's engagement, ignore it.
My Original Tweet Still Stands
Okay I want to believe the OpenClaw hype. But, what are you guys even building with all your new AI employees and new mac Minis besides AI slop?
Are you guys even creating revenue or businesses or just farming social media engagement to get the next person to download it?
That's not hate. That's not negativity.
That's due diligence.
Because if we're going to claim we're building the future, then we need to be able to explain it like adults:
- What is it?
- What does it do?
- What does it replace?
- What does it produce?
- What does it earn?
- Can someone else replicate it?
If the answers are vague, the hype is fake.
Final Thought
I'm not anti-tools. I'm not anti-hype. I'm not anti-innovation.
I'm anti pretending.
Because the people who actually build don't have time to posture.
They're too busy shipping, iterating, and getting punched in the mouth by reality.
So the next time the internet tells you the new shiny object is the answer...
Don't ask how fast you can install it.
Ask what it produces when nobody is watching.
That's the only hype that matters.