The Death of the Flex: Why Proof of Work is the Only Metric That Matters in 2026

Let's be real for a second. We've all seen the tweets. You know the ones. A high-contrast screenshot of a Stripe dashboard showing some insane "Gross Volume" number, followed immediately by a link to a $99 pre-order for a course on how to do exactly what that person just allegedly did. It used to work. It used to get people excited. But lately? It just feels… off.

We are living through a massive trust crisis in the indie maker space. Between AI being able to spin up entire fake personas and browser extensions that can edit any webpage to say whatever you want, the "screenshot flex" has officially died. If you can change your MRR from $500 to $50,000 with a right-click and "Inspect Element," then that number doesn't mean anything anymore.

This is why we need to talk about Proof of Work.

The Problem with "Faking it Till You Make it"

The advice used to be simple: act like you’re already successful, and the success will follow. In the early days of the "Build in Public" movement, this was mostly harmless. It was about confidence. But as the stakes got higher and the "solopreneur" dream became a multi-billion dollar industry, the incentive to lie became too strong to ignore.

I’ve talked to dozens of founders over the last year who are burnt out. Not because their businesses are failing, but because they feel like they’re losing a game they didn’t realize they were playing. They see someone else posting a $20k month and they feel like they’re falling behind. What they don’t see is the $18k in ad spend, the refunds that haven’t hit yet, or the fact that the screenshot was taken during a one-time launch spike that will never happen again.

When we chase vanity metrics, we lose the thing that makes indie hacking special: the human connection. We stop being people building things for other people, and we start being characters in a digital play, performing for an algorithm.

Enter the Era of Verified Revenue

So what’s the alternative? It’s not about stopping the sharing. Building in public is still one of the most powerful ways to grow a business. It’s about changing how we share.

Verified revenue is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a connection between your project and the source of your income typically Stripe that can’t be faked. When you see a "Verified" badge on someone's profile, you know that the platform has reached out via API, checked the actual numbers, and confirmed they are real.

This changes the entire dynamic of the community.

Imagine you’re looking for someone to learn from. Who do you trust? The person with the flashy screenshot and the "LFG" caption, or the person with a verified $2,400 monthly revenue that has been growing steadily for eight months? The second person might not look as "cool" at first glance, but they have something the first person doesn't: a moat built on trust.

Why Trust is Your Only Real Moat

In 2026, technology is a commodity. AI can write your code, design your landing page, and even handle your customer support. If your only competitive advantage is that you can build a feature faster than someone else, you’ve already lost.

Your moat is your reputation.

People want to buy from humans they trust. They want to follow journeys they know are real. When you show up every day and prove your progress with data that can’t be edited, you’re building a relationship with your audience that no AI can replicate. You’re saying, "I’m here, I’m doing the work, and I’m being honest about the results."

This honesty is actually a survival strategy. When the market gets crowded (and it’s getting crowded fast), the "noise" becomes deafening. Verification is the filter that helps you stand out. It’s the high-signal way to say you’re one of the serious ones.

The Security Question (Because it Matters)

I know what you’re thinking because I thought the same thing. "Give a third-party app access to my Stripe? Are you crazy?"

This is the biggest hurdle for verification, and it’s a valid one. But this is also where technical progress has been on our side. In the old days, you had to give away your master "Secret Key." That was like giving someone the keys to your house, your safe, and your car.

Today, we use Restricted Keys.

A restricted key is like a guest pass. You can tell Stripe exactly what that key is allowed to do. For Makers Page, we only care about reading your subscription metrics. We don't want (and can't use) your customers' names, their addresses, or your bank details. We definitely can't issue refunds or change your prices.

By following the principle of "least privilege," we get the transparency we need without any of the risk. You get to keep your data safe, and your audience gets to know the truth. It's a win-win that didn't exist a few years ago.

Moving Beyond the Number

Here is the secret that most people don't realize: verification isn't just about showing off how much money you make. It's about validating your ideas before you spend years on them.

We developed the "Launch Soon" badge for this exact reason. If you have an idea and you add it to your profile, you can see if people actually care. If you see people following that project or signing up for updates, you have validation. But here’s the kicker: when that validation happens on a platform where you already have verified products, the interest from users is 10x higher.

They know you aren't just an "idea guy." They know you ship. They see your track record. That trust carries over from your first project to your second, your third, and your tenth.

A Manifesto for the New Maker

We are building Makers Page because we are tired of the hustle culture that prizes "appearance" over "actualities." We want a place where the work speaks for itself.

If you are just starting out, my advice is simple: don't worry about being big. Worry about being real. Start a profile, list your project (even if it makes $0 right now), and commit to the long game. The people who win in the next five years won't be the ones with the best ChatGPT prompts. They will be the ones who built a reputation for honesty in a digital world full of fakes.

The era of the flex is over. The era of proof has begun.

Stop telling us you're successful. Show us the work.

How to Get Started Today

If you're ready to make the switch, it doesn't take much.

1. Audit Your Transparency: Look at your current "Build in Public" strategy. Are you sharing the dips as well as the peaks?
2. Setup Verification: If you’re using Stripe, take five minutes to create a restricted key and connect it. Let the data do the talking.
3. Write Your Manifesto: Use the space on your profile to explain why you're building, not just what you're building.
4. Be Patient: Trust isn't built in a day. It's built over a thousand small, honest interactions.

We’re all just trying to figure this out as we go. But let’s at least be honest with each other along the way. That’s how we build a community that actually lasts.

See you on the leaderboard. (The real one.)