The last couple of weeks have been... let’s just say “eventful.” Every time we release a new pedal, there’s a predictable rush - a flurry of activity as people scramble to be among the first to post demos. And while that energy is exciting, it also reveals the complicated dynamic between small builders like us and the content creator ecosystem that now surrounds gear culture.

As a small company, we don’t have the luxury of throwing $15k at a marketing campaign, bringing in the usual YouTubers to showcase our gear. Instead, we turn to a couple of long-standing friends of the brand: Ola Englund and Jason Frankhouser. These guys don’t do it for money - they support us out of genuine friendship, and we’re incredibly grateful for that. It’s a rare kind of loyalty in today’s world.

Of course, if we had the budget to hire everyone under the sun, we’d love to. But we have to be realistic.

Now, when I talk about a “scramble” to get demos up, I’m mainly referring to newer YouTubers and aspiring influencers who are eager to make their mark. Getting a video out early means capturing views - and in this game, views are everything. Ola’s video always goes live with the product launch, but the second demo spot? That’s prime real estate.

Here’s where things get tricky.

We truly appreciate every single demo of our products. If someone buys a pedal from us and puts the time into creating a video, that means a lot. Seriously. But there’s a clear difference between creators who treat this like a collaboration and those who don’t.

The professional demo artists reach out when something’s unclear. They read the manual, test the product, and take time to understand what it does before hitting “record.” Others, unfortunately, don’t. And often, the result is a messy, misinformed video - framed with a clickbait title, a garish thumbnail, and maybe a dose of made-up drama - all designed to drive traffic, even if it does a disservice to the product.

Take the now-infamous Truck Driver Shawn video. If you haven’t seen it… well, let’s just say it’s a textbook example of what not to do.