[Graffur]

I am literally writing a pitch deck right now (just for fun). My solution statement includes stuff like "respecting the user - no tracking, no selling data, no dark patterns"... deep down I doubt any investor would even look at this and would laugh at the naivety.

They would look at FB, Reddit and others and, naturally, want a piece of that pie.

Unfortunately, I think the better way to get funding would be to say:

* this is how we can capture as much data from the user as possible while convincing the user it is good for them

* this is how we can sell it to the highest bidder

* this is how we can make the user an addict

[dokein]

That depends on your product.

If Duckduckgo were trying to raise (assuming they had good growth metrics) and they said: look because people enter search terms we can generate targeted ads with no tracking, no dark patterns, etc. People value privacy a lot more these days (see FB tanking in value) and we will capture that market. I think a lot of investors would bite.

If your hypothesis is "look people would rather pay than be sold" and your product is a /paid/ social networking site with 50% growth MoM for a few months and great retention. Then great, let's hear all about it.

If you're just starting some generic product with no revenue and "no tracking no selling data no dark patterns" is some unrelated value prop that 0.1% of users (all of whom browse HN) care about. Then it's just a signal that your voice inside your own head is probably so loud that it'll drown out whatever the market is trying to tell you.

[TameAntelope]

It is not inherently amoral to track a user or sell that user's data, so restricting yourself (a cost) has to have a benefit (a value) otherwise you're inventing rules for yourself that makes your journey needlessly harder.

[onemoresoop]

No, it is unethical to charge the user a fee then sell their data. For free products it is a different story.

[TameAntelope]

So I as a user am not allowed to get discounts on services by allowing companies to sell my data?

If my information is mine, then I have a right to do with it what I want, including giving it to a company so they can then sell it.

Just seems like you want to control how I am allowed to use my own data…

[humanistbot]

Are your target consumers almost exclusively people who value privacy and likely already have ad blockers installed? If not, you should probably take it out of the pitch deck if you want to make money.

[pixel_tracing]

Don’t! Keep your pitch deck as is, I say find the right investors who take your side than you caving in to the status quo, tech is different than Wall Street you _can_ make a positive sum contribution (where everyone wins) while monetizing (it’s usually a bit longer game but worth it)