Rereading the post, I agree it came across as more personal than it should have been. I wish I was able to frame it more as a response to all the people advocating for alternative marketing ideas which frankly never work out. Instead, I brought in his own company into the narrative, which was below the belt. I know first hand how hard it is to get something to work, and how unlikely it is to happen time after time. I wish I could edit the comment, but HN won't let me at this point.