I assume you're referring to building out a store with no inventory to test the market? This is a pretty common tactic spread by books such as "The 4-Hour Work Week" so it's not surprising to see it in use for a site like this.

Honestly, I don't really have a problem with it. A more honest approach would be ideal, but if I had to choose between doing that and bootstrapping an entire business with stock before getting my first sale I would choose the "dishonest" method. It's a little inconvenient for the user, but presumably they want the product, so in the end they just end up waiting a bit for it.

People don't want to help you test your idea, so presenting it in any other way without rewarding them is unlikely to result in sales.

I think it's referring to the part where the web page says "that we’ve “sold out” due to “overwhelming demand”" when obviously there is no overwhelming demand at first. If you say there is huge demand for your product even though there isn't any, that's going a bit further than just "we're sold out". But since in the end the demand does pick up I get the argument that it's a grey area.

If you are selling nothing and have zero inventory any demand is technically overwhelming.

It's still a lie though like almost all of his ways of getting a customer. But I find it refreshing how clear it is.

Advertisers mostly pretend they are not lying which shapes wrong impression that advertisement can be honest. No, it can't if it is to be successful. Honest advertisement is just information and that's almost worthless for a seller.

My thoughts as well. Kind of a clever trick and I guess I can give him that this particular marketing trick doesn't have any real victims nor does it really hurt anyone, but its still dishonest at the end of the day.

> This is a lesson on how to lie your way to success. Which is an option, but any idiot with no morals can do that.

What an idiot with no morals can do is lie. Getting to success is harder.