Ok but the real point is: how do you get the first thousand people to know about your product? That's the hard part, and a viral system can help there. If there's a bad product behind, I think that it'll end up being a failure anyway, and in the end the product is surely what really matters.

You're right, it's hard here to tell if their product is driving the growth or if it's their marketing.

It would be nice if iubenda does something similar a few months after they exit private beta to show us what numbers are real and what is just success theater.

I will surely disclose more in the next future, granted.

About what's real, I think that it's mostly the need. I read every tweet that comes on the "iubenda" search, and frequently look to the profile of the user behind. Most of the times the user is a web designer, which proves that people subscribe because they feel the need. Moreover, I interview almost every beta tester that we invite, and again I get people really passionate about the product.

I think that the marketing-driven risk is mitigated by the fact that the product is explained very well on the website, and people signup only if in need of the product.

There's nothing wrong with giving the engine a little jump start. That jump start might be enough to get something truly amazing going. However, if the product sucks no harm done--no amount of jump starting will help.

Thanks for the reply, it's exactly my opinion