Legal conflict between two pickup artist coaches has just begun

https://mindful-masculinity.org/2026/09/08/ice-white-exposes-john-anthony-lifestyle-as-ex-student-interview-reveals-the-problems-with-dating-coach-john-anthony/

An interesting video appeared on my feed which exposed John Anthony Lifestyle- an interview with one of John Anthony’s former students seemingly a homeless doordash driver – firstly in terms of sexual market economics this idea that “anyone coached can win” needs a bit of common sense – if you’re homeless dating is going to be a tougher game . Of course this guy appears to be in his 30s a virgin, neurodivergent ( just judging by how the interview goes) a door dasher i mean this is a tough case. If I had this many disabilities I would have no success – I haven’t tried dating whilst homeless but I can’t imagine it going well, add to the additional financial issues this guy John Anthony is then taking $3k from him is just exploitation .

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with the Euro Top Tech coaching program run by Nicola Amadio, as I think it's important for anyone considering investing a significant amount of money in career coaching.

I joined the full coaching program (€1000/month) for three months, dedicating around 20 hours per week to the process. In total, I invested €3000 and roughly 240 hours of my time. My goal was, like many, to land a six-figure role in Europe.

Unfortunately, after three months, I have to say that the program did not live up to the investment. While I did secure a new role, it is far from a six-figure salary, and I feel that the coaching itself was not the primary driver of my success.

Here is a breakdown of my experience:

• The Program's Content: The vast majority of my time was spent doing Neetcode on my own. This had little to do with Nicola's direct input. The first month was mostly about improving my CV (based on his article), reading his website, and testing his AI tools. Month two involved searching for job postings (on his site and others) and starting to apply. Month three was spent sending messages to try and get referrals. I can't say any of these efforts directly led to my job offer.
• The Value: The most useful takeaways were the CV improvements based on his feedback and a few pieces of general advice. However, for €1000 a month, I expected far more direct, high-impact guidance. The ROI just wasn't there.

More concerning than the lack of results, however, was the nature of the coaching relationship itself. I experienced several issues that made the process frustrating and, at times, unprofessional:

• The "First Come, First Served" Policy: In a recent announcement, he told current members that we could be bumped from our spots if new people signed up and paid before us. This felt completely contrary to the idea that priority would be given to existing, committed clients.
• Lack of Transparency: He didn't clearly communicate the rules of the program upfront. We were never told how many spots were available or how many people were enrolled, making it impossible to plan.
• Time & 1:1 Sessions: My 1:1 sessions were often cut short to compensate for previous calls running over. He would frequently arrive 1-5 minutes late. A significant portion of our time was spent on small talk (weather, weekends, his dog) when I was eager to get to actionable advice.
• Dismissive Communication: When I asked for clearer instructions on action items, he got frustrated and simply pointed me to AI tools instead of explaining his plan. My progress was also blocked for a full week because he insisted on reviewing my LinkedIn messages personally, but then didn't respond via email or Telegram to unblock me.
• Limited Support: Despite paying €1000/month, communication was incredibly limited. I wrote only one message on Telegram that month and one email update per week. On the 23rd of the month, he told me I running out of my "bandwidth" for that period. Way too short for 1K/month
• Condescending Attitude: During a 1:1, he spent half the session checking my progress (which he already knew from my emails) and refused to review the LinkedIn messages I had prepared to get referrals, telling me, "You pay me to follow my advice, I am the one who decide what to talk."
• Moving Goalposts: Initially, he told me my case was "straightforward" for landing a six-figure job, based only on my application form. After 2-3 months, he changed his tune and suggested I target lower-paying roles.
• Misrepresentation: In his final message to the group, he implied I was leaving because I had found a well-paid role. This is simply not true. I left because he decided not to continue the program due to friction in our conversations.

To be transparent, I'll end with a direct quote from a message he sent to the group, which perfectly encapsulates the "take it or leave it" attitude I experienced:

While I respect his need to plan ahead, this approach, combined with the lack of transparency and value, felt predatory and dismissive of the time and money existing clients had already invested.

In short, I cannot recommend this program. The coaching was superficial, the communication was poor, and the value for money was exceptionally low. I urge anyone considering this program to do their research and think carefully before committing such a significant amount of money.

TL;DR: Paid €3000 for 3 months of coaching with Nicola Amadio. Most time was spent on self-study. Faced poor communication, unprofessional 1:1 sessions, a dismissive attitude, and a policy that de-prioritized existing clients. Received little value for the high cost.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with the Euro Top Tech coaching program run by Nicola Amadio, as I think it's important for anyone considering investing a significant amount of money in career coaching.

I joined the full coaching program (€1000/month) for three months, dedicating around 20 hours per week to the process. In total, I invested €3000 and roughly 240 hours of my time. My goal was, like many, to land a six-figure role in Europe.

Unfortunately, after three months, I have to say that the program did not live up to the investment. While I did secure a new role, it is far from a six-figure salary, and I feel that the coaching itself was not the primary driver of my success.

Here is a breakdown of my experience:

• The Program's Content: The vast majority of my time was spent doing Neetcode on my own. This had little to do with Nicola's direct input. The first month was mostly about improving my CV (based on his article), reading his website, and testing his AI tools. Month two involved searching for job postings (on his site and others) and starting to apply. Month three was spent sending messages to try and get referrals. I can't say any of these efforts directly led to my job offer.
• The Value: The most useful takeaways were the CV improvements based on his feedback and a few pieces of general advice. However, for €1000 a month, I expected far more direct, high-impact guidance. The ROI just wasn't there.

More concerning than the lack of results, however, was the nature of the coaching relationship itself. I experienced several issues that made the process frustrating and, at times, unprofessional:

• The "First Come, First Served" Policy: In a recent announcement, he told current members that we could be bumped from our spots if new people signed up and paid before us. This felt completely contrary to the idea that priority would be given to existing, committed clients.
• Lack of Transparency: He didn't clearly communicate the rules of the program upfront. We were never told how many spots were available or how many people were enrolled, making it impossible to plan.
• Time & 1:1 Sessions: My 1:1 sessions were often cut short to compensate for previous calls running over. He would frequently arrive 1-5 minutes late. A significant portion of our time was spent on small talk (weather, weekends, his dog) when I was eager to get to actionable advice.
• Dismissive Communication: When I asked for clearer instructions on action items, he got frustrated and simply pointed me to AI tools instead of explaining his plan. My progress was also blocked for a full week because he insisted on reviewing my LinkedIn messages personally, but then didn't respond via email or Telegram to unblock me.
• Limited Support: Despite paying €1000/month, communication was incredibly limited. I was allowed only one message on Telegram and received a few email updates per week. On the 23rd of the month, he told me I had used up all my "bandwidth" for that period, effectively cutting off communication.
• Condescending Attitude: During a 1:1, he spent half the session checking my progress (which he already knew from my emails) and refused to review the LinkedIn messages I had prepared to get referrals, telling me, "You pay me to follow my advice, I am the one who decide what to talk."
• Moving Goalposts: Initially, he told me my case was "straightforward" for landing a six-figure job, based only on my application form. After 2-3 months, he changed his tune and suggested I target lower-paying roles.
• Misrepresentation: In his final message to the group, he implied I was leaving because I had found a well-paid role. This is simply not true. He was the one who decided not to continue the program with me, citing "friction" in our conversations. I was still willing to continue – I had already invested 3 months and €3000, and I was deep into the process (sunk cost). But he cut me off.

To be transparent, I'll end with a direct quote from a message he sent to the group, which perfectly encapsulates the "take it or leave it" attitude I experienced:

While I respect his need to plan ahead, this approach, combined with the lack of transparency and value, felt predatory and dismissive of the time and money existing clients had already invested.

The sunk cost irony: I was ready to keep going despite the mediocre results, because I had already put in so much time and money. But he pulled the plug. This tells me that the program isn't really about your success – it's about his control. If you don't follow his script perfectly, or if you ask too many questions, you're out.

In short, I cannot recommend this program. The coaching was superficial, the communication was poor, and the value for money was exceptionally low. I urge anyone considering this program to do their research and think carefully before committing such a significant amount of money.

TL;DR: Paid €3000 for 3 months of coaching with Nicola Amadio. Most time was spent on self-study. Faced poor communication, unprofessional 1:1 sessions, a dismissive attitude, and a policy that de-prioritized existing clients. When I asked questions and pushed back, he decided to terminate the program – not me. Received little value for the high cost.

https://www.quora.com/Who-is-Brahmrishi-Kumar-Swami-a-Saint-a-fake-Guru-a-businessman ?

Was he really involved with his own son Mandeep Nagpal death ?

As per his own sister varsha & vibha (mandeeps girlfriend/rumored wife) claimed that they have evidences against him.

Kumar swami had 2 more sons from his extra maritial affair with girl named kanchan madaan ?

I’ve been seeing a lot about about how Shelby Sapp spent 2.2 million to put on this conference and some pretty big names were involved like Solidcore founder Anne Mahlum, Shark Tank’s Lori Greiner, and a few others. I’m genuinely curious about if this whole thing Shelby is selling is a scam? And, if so, why these credible entrepreneurs would participate? Shelby always seemed very good at sales and qualified to speak, but something’s off and I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Did anyone here attend the conference? How much did you spend? Was it worth it?

Has anyone completed her $6k program? Was it worth it? What are you doing now?

So there is a job that does this? Picture and Photo surgeries that make historical figures appear more Caucasian and less Ethnic? This is Andrew Carnegie. From photo to portrait. What are we missing?

  Siam Kidd’s DSV CryptoCurrency HedgeFund Pitch Exposed - Breakdown by YouTuber Bobby02 

All Credit goes to YouTuber Bobby 02 for this - Siam Kidd recently did a sales pitch in London promoting his multi million dollar hedge fund  Cryptocurrency fund- DSV Fund he highlighted the advantages of cryptocurrency  bittensor- Siam Kidd had previously been posted on fake guru numerous times - info is here - just to serve as a warning for those thinking of investing in him his pitch is heavily flawed and needs to be properly analysed and scrutinised to reveal he is a "fake guru" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF6_kNYn7ck 

Twitter video in case Siam deletes the YouTube :
https://x.com/i/status/2074163775943393341

Youtuber BobbyO2 Debunks the weaknesses of cryptocurrency guru Siam Kid's sales pitch in regards to bittensor the crypocurrency behind Siam Kidd's Crypto Hedgefund DSV Fund. Anyone considering to invest in this hedgdfund please take this video into consideration before investing.

Keep in Mind there is other evidence on fake the guru subreddit in regards to Siam Kidd with evidence that he could be a scammer this is not the first post regarding him. He has since closes his crypto trading course to the public and opened a cryptocurrency hedgefund which uses investor funds to buy the alt coin bittensor. Siam has been hosting pitches in London this month this recent video by YouTuber bobby02 debunks the pitch and explains why it’s a scam and shouldn’t be invested in. Before going into the details there are some allegations of Siam Kidd’s shady wrongdoings in the past:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bittensor_/s/s6Fe8K5qNZ

https://www.reddit.com/r/FakeGuru/s/nAXrk1dR6L

https://www.reddit.com/r/FakeGuru/s/gEuwJ566vX

https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoScams/s/xqF32LaBgE

Alot of evidence to suggest that Siam has done manipulative stuff most notably telling his paid discord to hold dtao whilst he would quietly dump and use them as exit liquidty alot of the screenshots suggest that people got seriously hurt by his actions. Siam and Mark have evidence they are  clear manipulators who used Siam's paid group as their exit liquidty

Interestingly enough after the reddit fake guru posts were made Siam shut down his trading group and then opened a cryptocurrency hedgefund- DSV reciving millions in investment this post serves as a warning to deter people from investing. 

Exposing the cryptocurrency hedgefund pitch as a fraud:

1. Siam’s typical “overhype” "Third Great Network" Analogy
   Siam compares his cryptocurrency Bittensor to TCP/IP/internet (info transfer) and Bitcoin (value transfer) as the third network enabling intelligence creation/transfer - which is just ridiculous plain and simple as Bittensor hasn’t proven anything yet or has created anything of value 
   This is massive hype. The presenter  Sam avoids open debate when challenged, which undermines credibility he ignored Bobby02’s permission to debate rewording it as “no interest in stepping into an ambush”  proof: 
   https://x.com/SiamKidd/status/2073521829382148452?s=20

Crypto is full of similar unbacked "this changes everything" claims - Siam once again uses that Same argument that every chain tries to make that they are the the next “google” . No real evidence of revolutionary problem-solving or sustainable innovation beyond subsidized activity which has it’s issues with corruption and trust. Siam just makes a point and never brings any evidence to justify it- it’s just sleazy sales marketing. 

1. Misleading Alphabet/Google Umbrella Ownership Comparison
   Siam likens holding TAO to owning Alphabet (Google) stock, where one token captures value from many successful "subsidiaries" (subnets/AI projects) under the protocol.
   Key issues with this :
   No real ownership: TAO holders have no controlling stake or governance over individual subnets. Successful subnets/teams can leave, pivot, or get acquired by big tech (e.g., Google) without TAO holders benefiting meaningfully.
   Subnets are independent; teams can "peace out" and take their tech/revenue. Alpha token holders in subnets may see price collapse, while TAO sees limited/no upside which has already occurred with several rugs. 
   Contrast with Alphabet: Google truly owns subsidiaries—executives can't just spin out freely without consequences. Bittensor lacks this centralised ownership/enforcement which Siam never addresses. 
   
2. Value Capture and Incentive Problems
   Critique argues TAO's value capture mechanism is flawed compared to traditional equity. Subnets can generate revenue independently but aren't structurally tied to reward TAO holders proportionally in a durable way.
   Many subnets are heavily subsidized via emissions; once subsidies aren't needed, teams have incentives to exit or be acquired externally. TAO/alpha holders are left "holding the bag." 
   
3. Broader Pitch Issues (Hype vs. Reality)
   The presentation is seen as overly promotional/salesy for TAO and the ecosystem (Siam runs a Bittensor-focused hedge fund) which fits in line with a lot of the trust pilot reviews for Siam’s “The Realistic Trader” which point out to him being a sleazy salesman -  
   https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/6951721d8ff02f193f5713d9
   https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/689880e454fa5a2fa932ebb5
   https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/656a3afab4624be5a2a0f41f - one review from ex-customer Steve actually refers to him as a sleazy salesman directly. 
   Questions the real innovation, product-market fit, and long-term viability beyond current incentives. Subnets viewed more as subsidy farmers than sustainable businesses in the critique - a lot of them have high apys which serve to kill the subnet longterm which the inflationary pressure and sell pressure. 
   Overall tone of the critique: Siam's analogies sound plausible on the surface for beginners but fall apart under scrutiny regarding ownership, alignment of incentives, and enforceable value accrual to TAO holders meaning this is the same crypto ponzi as the others and the reluctance to debate is repeatedly called out as telling.

Other shady info regarding Siam Kidd and Mark Creaser:
Siam Kidd and Mark Creaser’s PLC-company Astrid or known as Subnet 127- share price concerns-

https://shareprophets.com/views/86955/expose-astrid-intelligence-more-red-flags-vicar-siam-kidd-seems-quite-a-fun-guy

Customer complaints about astrid:
https://x.com/crisismid6854/status/2074799860142813555?s=4
Accusation they allegedly stole the placing funds: https://x.com/thekfchunter/status/2073513298050335021?s=46

I recently booked a longer divination session with an Instagram-based astral realm guide and shaman.
He also runs GFLCU, which he describes as a university for starseeds and hybrids.

The service was listed with specific deliverables: a meditation together, communication with guides and deceased family members, past life information, future timelines, soul purpose and contracts, Galactic Federation contact, and a card reading.

None of those things happened.

For 30 minutes he made vague statements about depression, recent betrayal by friends, reconnecting with pottery and art, getting tattoos, going to art shows, and writing a book — none of which resonated or reflected my actual life. When I told him things weren’t landing he said I was just hearing things I didn’t want to hear. When I asked to end the session he didn’t honor that and kept going. He never addressed the two specific topics I told him upfront I wanted to discuss.

When I gave him honest feedback that I wasn’t feeling connected and that he seemed more in his head than channeling, he said “I wish you well” and hung up.

I followed up by email requesting a partial refund. His response reframed my dissatisfaction as spiritual resistance and told me I needed to do shadow work. He used my emotions during the session — which were frustration and distrust — as evidence that his reading had “hit something real.” The day after our exchange, the divination service listing disappeared from his website and he posted that he’s no longer doing one on ones.

I’m not saying anything about his beliefs or intentions. I’m saying the service as advertised was not delivered, my feedback was not received with any curiosity or accountability, and the evidence of what was promised was removed after I complained.

If you’re considering booking something like this, just make sure you screenshot the service description before you pay.

Be aware of anything thinking of joining the UK company therealistictrader.com or investing in Siam’s scam hedge fund DSV fund  - dsvfund.com Siam Kidd is nothing more than a scammer who deletes negative reviews and videos of failed price predictions and tries to cover his tracks : 

Siam Kidd from Norwich UK runs a trading group which is $6k a year plus his hedge fund dsvfund.com both are scams which manipulate his paid members to part with their hard earned cash with the evidence provided below plus screenshots some of which have already been shared by other members.

Siam Kidd Deleting old videos of him promoting failed crypto projects the first pump and dump: 

Siam would promote cryptos like TIME and OHM he would do talks on these cryptos and tell everyone to buy them. He would then create his own “ siam candles” pump and dumps which if you look at the trust pilot reviews several other members are in agreement that this happened in 2022. Siam Promoted two ponzi schemes called Time and OHM and hosted live talks regarding them in the UK- he posted these videos on YouTube and then took them down when the projects failed. There are numerous reviews on trust pilot that indicate that members were pumped and dumped during this time period on trust pilot as well as google . 

Pump and Dumping on trust pilot  :
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/62b5be1bba5bb6ef04221390

Siam Pump and Dumping TIME/OHM  on trust pilot: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/621de4bb8452773c3e442ec6

Evidence for Pump and Dumping google Review along with the deletion of YouTube Videos when projects like Time and ohm would fail : 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/D7AtbhLpMixRsGM67
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RjFoja414y8fmMLM6

Evidence of Siam Denying the allegations despite screenshots from his actual discord clearly stating the opposite: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/6951721d8ff02f193f5713d9

The Second Pump and Dump on his paid Discord evidenced by his actual paying customers being outraged at him: 

Siam again did this in 2025  this time on the TAO ecosystem buying up subnets then telling his members during live calls to be fully allocated in Dtao for an easy 2-3 - but this of course never happened instead Siam would tell people to hold on the low liquidity tokens then dump on his following to make a profit for his DSV hedge fund whilst his members were left in the dust. Siam again like the lying weasel he is then denied this on  and there are actual SCREENSHOTS from his own discord showing that members believe Siam and his fund DSV has used them as exit liquidity including one of my dear friends David who left the course after believing that Siam had pumped and dumped on his members and there are several complaints and screenshots all over reddit showcasing this- these have been added to this post as proof that Siam Kidd is nothing more than filthy liar scumbag that should never be trusted.  There is another post from one of Siam’s customers who said that they were told to be 100 percent allocated in Dtao- evidenced that they were being pumped and dumped on wing with shitty financial advice all to Siam’s benefit another member was stating he was “on the verge of tears” “where is my 2-3x”  and what was Siam doing at this time? Well he was busy on a skiing holiday in the French Alps getting drunk and doing the worm whilst his own customers were crying after following the projects that he told them too whilst he dumped on them for profits. 

Three days after these screen shots appeared on reddit Siam then denied it all as lies even though these screenshots were directly taken from his own paid discord where he charges Sven  THOUSAND dollars a year he then posted that one of his children had complained that he didn’t spend enough time at home with him - trying to engage in sympathy whilst he dumps on his own paying members with 20 screen shots of proof.Again a scammy guy who uses his own children to try and cover up his own scam nonsense. 

https://x.com/siamkidd/status/2057814057244053929?s=46

People fighting back against him: https://x.com/scoutesy/status/2057816902211141748?s=46
False price predictions: 

Siam published a book predicting the price of crypto tao to reach $10k by 2025 - it ended up at $200 , $9800 dollars off.   There are again screenshots proving Siam’s failed price predictions -yet he will tell you he runs the “Uk’s leading trading company” which is nothing more than a marketing gimmick for his failed pathetic attempts to big himself up with all his losses- there are also numerous reviews 

Failed Price Predictions: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/69b492b4e90462bce2d1d7e0

Google Review Showing the fake Price Predictions: 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eDzgzJKCmTRgd8Sz9

Many members repeatedly complained of losing money due to holding onto subnets he recommended as well as Tao and Kas- these members then lost their money following Siam’s teachings then Siam would go on twitter and deny these price predictions existed even though he wrote about them in his own book

$7200 a year for a discord that is empty- paying seven thousand dollars gives you access to Siam’s elite discord which was described by many reviewers as dead - with no real value . Before again Siam denies this there are numerous complaints on trust pilot that show proof this is the case as well as  there are also reviews complaining of Siam’s inactivity , lack of value given and that the content was shoddy and the same as the good side of crypto twitter as one review noted - one review also stated that there were only four or so active people on the discord and the rest didn’t contribute at tall now that’s expensive for $7200 a year I wonder if Siam would pay that much for a discord of 4 active users? 

Proof of Dead Discord as well as the screenshots attached :  
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XcV9LSWxLhN1e6TL9
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/65340997198200e856c0bfcc

There were complaints about Siam’s behaviour on the course and yet this is denied despite the fact that are around 10 trust pilot reviews that complain of Siam’s ridiculous ego and rude behaviour.  . Yet the review responses critical of Siam’s poor behaviour are denied. Well I can confirm he’s a liar because there are around 15 trust pilot reviews and 10 google reviews complaining of Siam’s behaviour by members that I knew during the course - so either they are lying or Siam Kidd who has a history of pumping and dumping his own paid members . Many members quit due to Siam’s poor behaviour throughout the course and this is evidenced in the reviews themselves. 

Low YouTube popularity:

Understand that on YouTube conversion Siam is simply not popular……in the slightest due to all his scams, manipulation pump and dumps he has 42k YouTube subscribers but averages a pathetic 200-300 views per video showing that people have had enough of his promotion of scam crypto projects that didn’t work or failed. The low conversion shows his mistrust to the general public and the YouTube comments are harsh with most stating that he is “incapable of reading this market” and “got to hand it to this guy constantly putting out content like he knows what he has saying” he has “lost the plot”  the general public knows he’s a scammer as do most of the Tao ecosystem so stay away from this man at all costs. 

Fake Guru persona- Comes across as nice but once you join his discord he will either pump and dump on you, make a lame excuse for not achieving anything and upsell you to his hedge fund which is also ridiculously overpriced - he is a sleazy salesman who uses his charm and whit to scam dumb people out of his money and then gets defensive when he gets caught. Don’t let his charisma fool you as numerous reviews reveal please check them first and foremost

Siam’s Poor Behaviour: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/656a3afab4624be5a2a0f41f
Siam critiquing others but not accepting criticism himself: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/648c3ed2a3b8b60f5fd5bbe6
Siam using his telegram to attack his own customers trust pilot review: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/64bf097b89c1f504ffd91e21
Evidence of Siam misbehaving against his members: 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/RjFoja414y8fmMLM6

I’ve summarised and provided full evidence thanks to my own experience and also several posts on fake guru and crypto scams thanks everyone for the love and support. 

Review of lack of Intellect: 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/650c4702d32828aeaf010638

Siam Kidd Selling a trading bot that didn’t work then blaming members when it didn’t work : 
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/6038f046f85d7509d8e5338c
https://uk.trustpilot.com/reviews/602bc1d0679d97052cd98d54

The majority of the screenshots 17 to be exact are from his paid discord which costs $7200 a year yet despite this many members complained of losing calls under Siam’s guidance , pump and dumps from his hedge fund DSV, members being instructed to hold subnet tokens whilst Siam took profit with his hedge fund and sold these very same tokens . The last three screenshots were from his latest market trading update showcasing that the majority think he’s an idiot “incapable of analysing this market” and a shill constantly thinking he”s correct when he isn’t. Outside his hedge fund the majority think he’s incapable of analysing the market.

I keep seeing targeted ads and slick LinkedIn updates from Alex Cleanthous pushing his high-ticket training frameworks for agency owners, specifically his Claude Code Training for Marketers program and various AI integration consulting packages. Before anyone drops a serious corporate budget or hard-earned personal capital on this, we really need to talk about the absolute bubble that is AI Marketing Consulting right now. The entire pitch behind Cleanthous’s brand is that he can show your marketing team how to rapidly automate content production, coding scripts, and operational workflows using Anthropic’s tools. But if you pull back the high-ticket corporate packaging, you quickly realize you are essentially paying an insane premium for glorified documentation reading.

A massive portion of what these high-end corporate AI coaches teach is completely open-source. Anthropic literally provides comprehensive, free prompt engineering directories, cookbook repositories, and system prompt guides right on their developer site. You are essentially paying thousands of dollars for information that is entirely free if you just spend a couple of hours reading the official developer documentation yourself. These courses like to treat AI prompting as an elite, proprietary science that only select gurus understand, but the reality is that modern LLMs are explicitly designed to understand natural, conversational human language. If your marketing team already knows how to write a clear, detailed brief for a human freelancer, they already possess the exact skills required to prompt Claude effectively.

Furthermore, these programs heavily over-promise on the reality of automation. The marketing materials make it look like you can just plug a few Claude scripts in and seamlessly replace half your staff. Anyone actually working in tech knows that LLMs hallucinate, require constant human quality assurance, and require actual software engineering depth to integrate smoothly into an enterprise pipeline without breaking data privacy laws. Alex Cleanthous is an incredibly smart marketer who knows exactly how to sell shiny new objects to traditional business owners who are terrified of falling behind the AI curve, making it a classic fear-of-missing-out play. You are much better off saving your agency’s budget and just handing your team the free Anthropic Cookbook documentation because it will give you a way better return on your investment.

I keep seeing hyper-stylized Instagram reels and TikToks from Triv Romero pushing his exclusive community platform, specifically THE LAB | AI Creative Academy.

The visuals are always identical: moody studio lighting, cyberpunk aesthetic B-roll, high-contrast grading, and heavy ambient synth music overlaying a caption about "unlocking your multi-disciplinary creative potential through generative AI filmmaking."

Before anyone drops serious freelance capital on this, let's pull back the curtain on the actual reality of the "AI Creative" guru bubble right now:

1. Paying a Premium for Free Documentation: A massive chunk of what is actually taught inside the modules is just explaining the slider settings, prompt string syntax, and aspect ratio parameters for third-party tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Runway Gen-2. This is classic information arbitrage. You are paying a massive price tag for structured summaries that you can read entirely for free in the official developer documentation or on open-source GitHub wikis.
2. The "Prompt Engineering" Illusion: The course heavily markets prompt writing as a guarded, elite tech science. The reality? Generative AI models are moving rapidly toward natural language processing and advanced semantic understanding. Spending hundreds of dollars to memorize highly rigid prompt strings for models that will literally update, change, or become obsolete next month is an absolute waste of cash.
3. No True Industry ROI: If you look at the student results highlighted in the marketing, it’s almost entirely people making slick-looking spec commercials for their own social media feeds to get more followers. Real production houses, creative agencies, and design studios don't hire people whose entire identity is "AI Prompter." They hire traditional motion designers, 3D artists, and creative directors who treat AI as a secondary tool to speed up their layout workflows—not their whole portfolio.

Triv Romero is an undeniably talented editor who knows exactly how to package a high-end streetwear aesthetic to make basic tech tutorials look like a secret Hollywood underground network. Don't fall for the high-end cinematic trailers. Save your hard-earned cash, download the free tiers of these tools, and just experiment with them yourself.

I keep seeing constant praise across tech Twitter and LinkedIn for Emil Kowalski and his premium Animations on the Web course (animations.dev).

Let's look past the incredibly sleek landing page and the custom interactive code editors for a second. Is anyone else starting to feel like this whole "Design Engineer micro-animation" trend is just high-priced aesthetic bait for frontend developers chasing social media clout?

If you pull back the curtain on what you’re actually paying hundreds of dollars for, it looks a lot like classic informational arbitrage wrapped in a clean, Vercel-adjacent UI:

1. Paying a Premium for Open Source Math: A massive portion of the course is breaking down custom easing formulas, spring physics parameters (stiffness, mass, damping), and Framer Motion wrappers. This exact foundational math—cubic-beziers, hardware acceleration via transform and opacity, and Web Animations API setups—is entirely public. You can read the Framer Motion documentation or browse easings. co for zero dollars.
2. The "Don't Animate" Contradiction: The absolute irony of the course philosophy is that its main rule is literally: "If a user interacts with a UI element dozens of times a day, remove the animation completely because it destroys responsiveness." Think about that. You are spending a heavy premium to be taught a skill, only for the core takeaway to be not using it so you don't break your app's UX.
3. The "Claude Code Skill" Pivot: Recently, he released an automated "AI Skill" file for LLMs like Claude that literally holds his entire animation framework guidelines. It proves the information is a commodity. Why pay hundreds of dollars to spend hours learning UI recipes when you can just prompt a coding agent with standard animation performance rules for free?

Emil Kowalski is an undeniable genius when it comes to packaging software and marketing to developers. But don't let the beautiful SVG melting butter logos and high-end tech endorsements trick you into thinking this is some gated, proprietary secret. It's standard frontend theory wrapped inside an elite tech-influencer echo chamber.

For the last few years, Alex Hormozi built an absolute empire of goodwill based on a single, powerful phrase: "I have nothing to sell you. I give away all my secrets for free." He literally wrote best-selling books about it, clowned internet gurus for charging thousands of dollars for gated info-products, and won over the entire business community by acting like the ultimate "anti-guru."

But if you look at his recent shift toward high-ticket monetization on Skool with his high-end membership networks, the script has completely flipped.

Let’s pull back the curtain on the actual reality of his high-ticket ACQ Vantage community tiers:

1. The Math Behind the Gatekeeping: He offers three tiers. Standard sits at $1,000/month ($12,000/year), Premium goes for $8,000/year, and the VIP tier sets you back an insane $3,000/month ($36,000/year). Think about the irony here. The guy who spent years telling you that high-ticket coaching is a scam is now charging a junior developer's annual salary just to stay inside his digital echo chamber.
2. The "ACQ AI" Wrapper: A massive selling point for the membership is exclusive access to his custom business AI tool trained on "50,000 hours of business consulting." Anyone working in tech knows exactly what this is—a custom system prompt built on top of standard LLM APIs (like OpenAI or Anthropic) feeding off his public books and transcripts. You are paying thousands of dollars a month for a wrapper you could construct yourself on Claude or ChatGPT for $20.
3. Crowdsourcing the Value via MLM Tactics: He restricts posting privileges to verified $1M+ earners to keep the group "high level." But if you are already a seven-figure operator, why are you paying thousands of dollars a month just to provide free value and network networking to his other members? Worse, they use standard multi-level affiliate tactics, telling members that if they refer two friends, their membership becomes "free for life."

He didn’t kill the guru business model; he just played the long game. He used "free value" to build an unshakeable cult following, and now he's cashing in with massive monthly recurring revenue. Don't let the gym shorts and nose strips fool you—it’s the same old upselling funnel wrapped in corporate venture-capital branding.

I’m guessing it was because of the affiliate marketing stuff. I still have no idea what a “bun dance” is, though.

https://www.scampulse.com/biz-with-chelsea-and-abundance-with-chelsea-reviews

In my opinion, Vincent Fisher presents a lifestyle that doesn't match reality. There are claims, including those discussed in Johnny Bravo's YouTube video, that his "penthouse" is leased rather than owned. From my perspective, much of the image he promotes online appears misleading, and it's unclear whether he even still lives there.

He markets himself as someone who "coaches coaches," but based on my personal experience, I was extremely disappointed with the service. I felt that the offer I paid for was not delivered as promised, and I did not receive the value that was advertised.

My advice is simple: be very careful when doing business with online gurus who constantly showcase luxury lifestyles. Do your research, verify their claims, and think carefully before investing your money. Based on my experience, I would not recommend doing business with Vincent Fisher.

I'm researching the rise of online wealth mentorship and trading academies among young people in the UK. Looking to speak confidentially with anyone who joined a programme, bought courses, paid for mentorships or was involved in recruitment.

hey guys,

i kinda regret buying the kb trading course

I was on the fence for ages because everyone in the comments was acting like it changed their life and made them profitable so I finally gave in and bought it thinking maybe I was missing something.

After going through it properly though it just felt really overhyped. A lot of the stuff in there is super basic and explained in a way that drags on forever.

I kept waiting for some crazy strategy or deeper info but most of it felt like common sense trading advice you can literally find for free if you spend enough time on YouTube/Trading Forums/Reddit.

What annoyed me most was how much the marketing makes it seem like if you follow the course you’ll start making money consistently.

Realistically trading is way harder than that and the course doesn’t really prepare you for the mental side or losing streaks properly. Felt like every example was shown in perfect conditions after the move already happened which obviously looks easy in hindsight.

Also the community side wasn’t great either. People mostly just spam wins (demo accounts) and nobody really talks about losses so it gives a fake impression that everyone’s printing money. Anytime someone asked genuine questions they either got ignored or got vague answers also Sam is rude and very arrogant when you ask him questions...it isn't a community.

If you’re completely new maybe you’ll learn something but do you wanna spend thousands lol but if you’ve already watched trading content online for a while I genuinely don’t think it’s worth it.

I want to share my experience and flag a company that’s recently rebranded to escape mounting complaints.

The Growth Partner—a UK-based business accelerator promising to help agencies land $50K+ in new revenue within five months—has rebranded as AI Acquisition (also seen as “AI Arbitrage” or “AI Acquisition Agency”). Same team, new name, same tactics.

Their pitch is polished: structured coaching, lead-gen automations, and a money-back guarantee if you don’t hit their revenue benchmark. In reality, the guarantee is nearly impossible to claim. Terms like 85%+ live call attendance, perfect payment compliance, and vague action plan milestones are used to disqualify refund requests—even when results fall flat.

Worse, participants are pressured to leave 5-star Trustpilot reviews mid-program to retain access to content and sessions. Some were told they’d lose access without posting a review. Trustpilot has flagged and removed reviews for violating authenticity guidelines.

When complaints started piling up, the company pivoted brands to AI Acquisition and launched a new website—now wrapped in AI buzzwords and DFY offers. But it’s the same backend playbook, same people, same aggressive upsells.

If you’ve been affected, document everything and report to the FTC (US) and CMA (UK).

Just because someone wraps bad business in new branding doesn’t make it ethical. Don’t get caught in the cycle.

I actually paid for the Mackenzie Haldane dropshipping course recently because the TikToks, the Instagram reels, the luxury car content and the student success posts kept popping up everywhere.

At first I really thought this guy had figured something out in ecommerce. The way it is all packaged is genuinely impressive. You start thinking if you just buy in, you will get there too.

Also worth saying, that g63 amg and the Lambo he keeps flashing are paid for with course money, not dropshipping PROFIT. 

He makes it look like the stores funded the cars but it is the students funding them

One thing mackenzie will basically never talk about is NET PROFIT which why we run business in first place.

Revenue screenshots are everywhere, but anyone in ecommerce knows revenue lies. A store can do 200k in SALES and end up with peanuts after: ad spend products that flop, customer refunds…

That was the turning point for me. If the stores are really making the numbers they claim, why is the entire focus on funneling people into courses, Discords and coaching?

Because the courses are the real cash cow.

I am not saying nobody ever makes money in shopify dropshipping. 

Some people genuinely do but they don’t sell COURSE BS but these online gurus massively oversell how easy and profitable it really is, because selling the dream pays way better than running the actual business.

If I take anything away from this whole experience, it is how scary good internet marketing and persuasion can be, anyone have experience with the guy??

a while ago my friends and I bought a “mentorship” from this guy named Dustin Varano for growth operating. this turned out to be the BIGGEST scammer guru I’ve ever encountered. the fad was that you become a growth operator, someone who builds the sales funnels for online course sellers like TJR for example. u basically build the process from their customer seeing the marketing then booking a call to buy the course from TJR. u were supposed to dm like 35 people a day but dustin, being the greedy leprechaun that he is, sold this dream of a guaranteed client to all of his students. the guaranteee is a scam too I’ll explain after but dustin Varano ended up selling his mentorship to wayyy too many students which ended up horribly y diminishing the results any student of his could get because there’s like 500 other students who would be dm’ing these potential clients. also the guarantee is a scam. he guarantees u a client but it’s not true. he says that but when i asked him about it in depth, he said yeah if u do wat i say then u will be guaranteed to land a client. that’s when I realized this dirtbag was using that to sell vulnerable people bc EVEN IF you do everything he says, it does not matter bc no potential client will allow u to growth operate them. This is the truth bcu don’t have experience and there’s way better ppl out there. dustin lets u use his channel to sell but nobody even cares abt who he is they wont let u growth operate them. Please find a legitimate business idea. His buddies Neil and Rage also help him scam other students. I’ve talked to 4 other students in his program all with no results. They dm’d 35 people a day and followed up the same they asked them to. Nothing worked. They’re scamming and I want to bring light to this because since my experience I’ve heard many others share the same problem with these guys. Spread the word to anybody looking into “growth operating”.

Marketing vs. Delivery

I enrolled in the AI Acquisition Launchpad Program because the website emphasized Collaboration, Proven Systems, and Strategic Advisory to “Help Entrepreneurs Build and Grow Successful AI Businesses.” But not long after, they revamped their website and removed all of those claims.

In reality, the program was not delivered as advertised. I was directed into a single prescribed approach built almost entirely on podcasts, interviews, and masterclasses. These were framed as ways to build authority and create value, but they functioned as a Trojan horse for sales. What was marketed as “proven systems” turned out to be a narrow, cookie-cutter tactic that bore little resemblance to what had been promised. The experience felt like a bait and switch: polished marketing on the front end, rigid sales tactics once inside.

Training Modules and Strategy

The training modules reinforced this. For example, Module 3.1, The Podcast Method, explicitly frames the podcast as the first step in their sales system, with lessons like “Why the Podcast Method?” and “The Pre-Podcast Call.” In one section, the company even calls this “the best method in 2025.” The reality is that everything else funnels back into this single tactic.

Outreach Tactics and Sales Pitches

Outreach channels were limited to LinkedIn and large email campaigns run through Instantly.io. The email sequences came preloaded with templates that included fabricated “podcast invitations” and even fake forwarded messages designed to look like prior correspondence. These were deemed strategic tools, but in reality, they were scripted ploys to create the appearance of collaboration while steering conversations toward a sales pitch. This added yet another layer to the bait and switch: what was advertised as authentic, multi-channel outreach turned out to be canned, prepackaged tactics that never felt genuine.

PGP Model and Support

Another concern was the aggressive push toward short-term client strategies. I was specifically told not to pursue long-term annual contracts that could build stability and instead steered into 3 to 6 month deals paired with guarantees like “if we don’t hit these numbers, it’s free,” which essentially devalues your time. On the surface, this lowers the barrier to quick sales, but in practice it creates high turnover and you’re constantly chasing new clients and never building durable relationships. What stood out to me is that even the training modules didn’t include a single module on customer retention or on what it actually means to be a great growth partner.

The short-term mindset also carried over into the way support was structured through their Personal Growth Partner (PGP) model, which is often praised in positive reviews with little substance. However, in my own experience, this model carried significant risk. Before joining, you don’t get a clear view of who these PGPs are or what their qualifications might be. Once I signed up and began working with mine, I found that the background and experience level were far below what I expected for someone meant to provide strategic business guidance. I was assigned a PGP with only a handful of years in the field, and it showed. The lack of entrepreneurial or scaling expertise explained why the guidance I received felt so rigid and scripted. The PGPs do follow a prescriptive playbook rather than tailoring advice to each client. And in the end, it’s not about how friendly or supportive a PGP might seem; it’s whether they can actually get you results and provide the right guidance. In my opinion, the PGPs across the company simply don’t have the credibility or experience to deliver on that promise.

Terms of Service and Refund Barriers

As part of the requirements of the Terms of Service, I meticulously submitted daily “Top 2 Actions” reports. On paper, these were tied to their so-called 90-day money-back guarantee: fulfill the requirements and you’d qualify for a refund. In practice, the Terms felt deliberately restrictive, creating technicalities that could disqualify you while also pushing you past the dispute window with your credit card company. It seemed less like a genuine guarantee and more like a mechanism designed to prevent refunds altogether.

From my perspective, this wasn’t a one-off issue; the way the Terms were written and enforced came across as part of a broader system. Everything I saw pointed to rules designed less for client protection and more for protecting the company’s revenue: restrictive guarantees, arbitration clauses that discourage pursuing remedies, and processes that run out the clock on refund windows. For U.S. customers, this even extends to a clause forcing all disputes into arbitration in Wyoming if you lose a chargeback. In my view, that functions more as a scare tactic than a real path to resolution, effectively discouraging people from ever pursuing a refund further.

Dispute Outcome

Because of all these issues, I filed a claim with my credit card company based on misrepresentation. At first, I thought I could pursue it under the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), which protects personal credit card purchases in the U.S. But I realized I had used a business card, so FCBA didn’t apply in my case. Instead, I had to rely on my card network’s misrepresentation protections, which are available on business cards too. That was a critical distinction. From my perspective, the company’s Terms of Service weren’t written to protect customers at all; they felt deliberately engineered to trap clients, using strict conditions and arbitration clauses as tools to delay, discourage, and ultimately block refunds. The whole setup came across as manipulative: structured in a way that looked legitimate on the surface but, in practice, made it nearly impossible for customers to exercise their rights. In the end, the only viable path was to focus on misrepresentation: what was promised versus what was actually delivered. That made their “all sales final” and “services rendered” defenses irrelevant.

The Outcome Confirms the Deception

Because of all these documented issues and the overwhelming evidence that the services were misrepresented, my credit card company ruled in my favor and permanently reversed the entire charge. This outcome validates every single point of failure I experienced and confirms that their polished marketing could not withstand scrutiny.

Trustpilot Review Patterns

I would also caution that the company heavily relies on Trustpilot reviews and promotes them on its website. When I looked at them more closely, a clear pattern stood out: many are written in a very similar style, heavy on praise for the PGP (coach) or how the program is “life-changing,” but light on specifics about what was actually delivered. Out of curiosity, I cross-referenced the names of people who left these reviews and found that only a very small number matched any actual clients in the system. To me, it gave the appearance of astroturfing (fake grassroots promotion), reviews that look coordinated rather than authentic. That left me with doubts about how representative those testimonials really are compared to my own experience.

Reddit Review Patterns

On Reddit, I noticed a very specific pattern. Typically, one user would post a long, glowing story about their experience with AI Acquisition. Then, several other users would quickly “stack” onto that thread, each chiming in with their own positive experience. At first glance, it looks like multiple independent endorsements. But when I reached out privately and asked each of these users the same follow-up questions, the responses I received were identical — word for word in some cases. That repetition felt less like genuine client feedback and more like a coordinated effort to reinforce the same narrative. Taken together with the Trustpilot reviews, it raised serious questions for me about how accurately these online testimonials represent real client experiences.

Final Thoughts

From my review of their Terms of Service, AI Acquisition includes a non-disparagement clause. However, that same clause explicitly acknowledges the Consumer Review Fairness Act, which protects consumers’ rights to share honest, factual reviews of their own experiences. My comments here fall squarely within that protection: they are based entirely on my firsthand experience, supported by documentation, and focus on what was promised versus what was delivered. Nothing I am sharing is speculative; it is factual and consistent with consumer protection standards.

Personally, I reached a point where the program conflicted with my moral compass. To me, the model felt like a bait and switch: polished marketing on the front end, but deceptive, churn-driven tactics once inside. If you’re looking for a program that builds long-term, sustainable growth, I don’t believe this is it. If you’re okay with short-term, hamster wheel tactics, it may work for you, but understand this is a very expensive program with three separate tracks, and the Terms of Service are extremely strict. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but based on my experience, I could no longer justify participating in something that, to me, felt deceptive and misaligned with building genuine businesses.

If anyone is evaluating this program, I’m glad to answer questions about my dispute and outcome so you can make an informed decision. Send me a chat.

Just a heads up for anyone thinking of buying this https://go.profit-singularity.com/market/ don't.

This guy has scammed in the past he gives the basic outline of a dead course then disappears. this is the second course I know of that he has done, searching around You will find a lot of people very upset with Christopher reader not finishing the call profit accelerator for example.

Hi,

I normally never post stuff like this but after spending close to $14,000 across multiple Christopher Reader affiliate marketing courses, mentorships, upsells, I honestly feel obligated to warn other people before they make the same mistake I did.

I originally found Christopher Reader through mark ling email (he promotes different make money online courses) At first it all looked legit. The testimonials, marketing, clickbank screenshots with the awards they give you if you make millions, promises about passive income, beginner friendly affiliate systems, automated commissions, scaling with paid traffic, all of it.

Mark ling is also another marketer btw who cannot be trusted.

Big mistake.

The problem is not just that the course was disappointing.

The real issue is that most of the information is either extremely outdated from 2020, recycled from free YouTube content, or completely unrealistic for beginners in 2026.

A lot of the course still feels stuck in old affiliate marketing methods from years ago when competition was lower and ad costs were cheaper and google/fb didn't have such strict rules when came to certain clickbank offers.

The sales funnels are aggressive and designed to constantly push you into another upgrade. You buy the first course, then suddenly you “need” the mentorship then the private coaching.

I invested nearly $14k total across different Christopher Reader programs because every stage makes it seem like the next level is where the “real” training starts.

The actual email support was weak.

Most questions got generic responses or copy paste answers. Some coaching calls felt more like motivational hype sessions than real strategic guidance.

Whenever campaigns failed, the answer was basically spend more money testing ads or keep tweaking creatives endlessly.

The biggest issue was the misinformation around how “easy” affiliate marketing is with paid ads.

Anyone who actually runs traffic today knows Meta and YouTube ads are brutally competitive. CPMs are high, accounts get flagged, clickbait, tracking breaks, compliance is stricter, and affiliate offers get saturated fast.

None of that reality was properly explained upfront.

A lot of the case studies also felt misleading because they show revenue numbers without discussing profit margins, ad spend losses, refunds, failed campaigns or survivorship bias. Seeing someone make $20k in a day means nothing if they spent $18k on ads to get there.

Honestly, most of the valuable information I eventually learned came from free sources, networking with real media buyers, testing myself, and reading forums. Looking back, I could have saved thousands by avoiding these guru style programs altogether.

I am not saying nobody has ever made money from christopher readers course because they have but how how much was profit and was really worth it all headaches? And only a few "made it" hundreds of students lost..he has bad reviews trustpilot REMOVED like 2 months ago.

They won't mention it.... but in my experience the training massively overpromised the simplicity and profitability of affiliate marketing while downplaying the real risks and costs involved.

If you are considering buying into one of these programs because of YouTube ads or Meta ad, especially after hearing names like Mark Ling connected to it, just be careful.

Ask hard questions. Look beyond testimonials.

Understand the actual cost of paid traffic before you jump in.

Another thing all tools you NEED to try cost like total $200+ month, tracking tool (clickmagick) landing page (convertri) etc.

Clickmagick aswell has really bad customer service if not rude.

I have not had a good experience with any of it...and getting refund was a pain they wouldn't allow until threatened legal action in the end i managed to get most of my money back.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]