I really appreciate the public apology and acknowledgement here. I know I went in on you all pretty hard, and lesser companies would have silently changed the algorithm but never admit the error or the harm. So thanks for not being total dicks about it!

More broadly I hope this world of “growth hacks” itself grows up and moves beyond trickery and gimmicks into something deeper and more genuine. I recommend some set of “Key Questions” or “Leading Tenets” or some such.

Anytime you’re communicating with a user’s name or likeness, implying or explicitly claiming an endorsement, it has to be 100% credible. Fudging endorsements generates lawsuits at the high end of the marketing spectrum (e.g. saying Michael Jordan got his great airtime from Chipotle burritos) and annoyance at the low end.

I also understand that new tech companies can come under tremendous pressure to get users onboard and fast and keep them. However, we users (I prefer the term “humans” — old fashioned, yes) are also under pressure and unsustainable competition for our slow, meatspace minds. There needs to be a system of checks or verifications to make us consciously aware when we are sending promotional messages on behalf of a company or product.

If I had been shown a preview of what my SMS invite or Facebook endorsement would look like, I could approve or deny it, or I could edit it to be in my own voice and represent what I actually think. Imagine letting me speak for myself! If you make it easy for me to speak for me, I’ll love you more. If you put words in my mouth and don’t tell me you did that, I’ll hate you.

Just a few ideas on restoring trust. Thanks again for the public acknowledgement, and tell your growth hacking friends it’s time to grow up.