The Internet Is Full of People Selling Maps to Mountains They’ve Never Climbed

That’s a problem worth thinking about

Photo by Ansgar Scheffold on Unsplash

I saw this the other day on Substack. And it made me think.

Digital Sherpas offering to guide you to fame, fortune, abs, inner peace, or seven-figure business funnels — all for three easy payments of $997.

That’s the world we live in.

If we dig just a tiny bit deeper, we’ll realize many of those Sherpas haven’t even laced up their hiking boots, let alone climbed the mountain they’re selling a map to.

The 2020s are the golden age of secondhand expertise.

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The Map Sellers

Now, before we rant… there are great people out there on the internet. People with true expertise, people who give amazing tips, people who know what they’re doing.

But those are few.

Far more often, we see the secondhand experts. They’re on every platform. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, yes, even Medium and Substack.

Their bios scream authority: “Helping 7-figure entrepreneurs scale effortlessly” or “Mindset coach for high performers.”

But those are just bios. Not CVs.

Some are barely old enough to rent a car. Others are business coach matryoshka dolls: they coach coaches who coach coaches.

They’re all selling something: a book, a course, a system, a guaranteed shortcut to success.

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I’ve Been There

I’m not completely without guilt here. I created products in the past that might have come too early in my journey. In fact, one of the first valuable feedbacks I got from a big name creator 4 years ago was: “Don’t call it helping people build something you haven’t finished yourself.”

I stopped. Changed course. Did something else. Until I created my first product. Might have also been the reason I’ve never created a course on something.

Back to the story: Many of these maps the Sherpas are selling are beautiful. Slick designs. Catchy acronyms. Funnel-shaped funnels. Testimonials from Gary in Idaho, who “doubled his confidence” in just 30 days.

It all looks sweet.

But beauty doesn’t mean accuracy. A polished map made by someone who’s never seen the summit is still just a guess. Could be the right guess, sure. I wouldn’t count on it, though.

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Why This Happens

The internet rewards confidence, not competence.

Algorithms don’t care about credentials; they care about engagement. If you’re charismatic, speak with certainty, or have decent lighting, you can build a following selling just about anything, including advice you’ve never actually followed yourself.

And because we’re all a little hungry for shortcuts, we want to believe the map works.

We want someone to give us the answer.

It’s so much easier to buy a guide than to bushwhack your way up the mountain yourself.

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The Problem with Secondhand Maps

The danger isn’t just wasting money — it’s wasting time, energy, and belief.

Not even that though, for me, the most crucial downside is that — once you’ve been down that rode of wrong maps — you’ve lost trust in the path. You may find other guides, but you won’t take their advice. Because you’ve been fooled once.

Bad maps don’t just lead you nowhere; they convince you the whole mountain is a myth.

After following a few dead ends, you start to think maybe success is a scam. Maybe you’re the problem.

You’re not. Most certainly.

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How to Spot a Map Faker

Want to know if your favorite guru has actually climbed the mountain?

Asking one question can help tremendously: “When did you do it?”

Not how, not why, not what’s your strategy — just when.

• When did you build the business?

• When did you go through the struggle?

• When did you live the story you’re now packaging as advice?

• Where’s the evidence for the when?

You should be able to find the answer.

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What to Do Instead

Look for the people who did it with you, alongside you, just before you. People you’ve witnessed succeeding.

They might not be the flashiest. Their websites might look like they were built in 2009. They don’t have all the answers. But they know a thing or two you need right now.

Even better? Start climbing yourself.

Make your own mistakes. Build your own maps. Fall on your face, dust yourself off, and write down what worked. The best way to spot a bad guide is to have done some trekking on your own.

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If You’re a Creator, Be Very Careful

You can fall in that trap.

If you’re a creator or online writer, you have a responsibility not to become a map faker yourself.

It can be tempting. Really.

There’s pressure to monetize. The algorithm loves boldness.

But don’t do it.

Build slow. Speak from experience. Offer road-tested advice — not just regurgitated wisdom with better branding.

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Climb Then Speak

The mountain doesn’t care about your funnel.

It doesn’t care about your business coach’s business coach. It doesn’t care how many followers you have or how tight your niche is. It only responds to one thing: effort & working advice.

Also, I love people who tell about their failures along the way. Not just sell the solution. You learn more from the no-to-do part than the to-do.

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The Bottom Line

The internet is full of borrowed wisdom. That’s fine. We all start there.

That’s not the issue.

But there’s a mountain with your name on it. You probably won’t find it on a pre-made course or a template. If you start climbing, stumble a bunch, and survive — it’ll all be worth it because either it works or you fail.

Then you know.