I suspect a lot of firsts (or early projects) were promoted in scammy, or at least very unrealistic, ways. I don't agree with overpromotion, but frankly a lot

I suspect a lot of firsts (or early projects) were promoted in scammy, or at least very unrealistic, ways. I don't agree with overpromotion, but frankly a lot of what SV does is based on that as well. If your pitch deck doesn't promise to change the world, you won't get as much attention. This project was probably a poor use of funds (compared to other options), but the effort may have advanced our knowledge just a bit.