we ran around $1k in ads last year, targeting senior-level engineers at technology companies While sure it sounds like you were ripped-off, I would expect that

we ran around $1k in ads last year, targeting senior-level engineers at technology companies While sure it sounds like you were ripped-off, I would expect that just about any mass-market medium offering ad-targeting to "senior-level engineers at technology companies", "senior managers", "wealthy yachting enthusiasts" or similar super-high-value clients be a ripped-off if it was offered. I'd imagine anyone in the position would avoid anything that could target them with ads (blocking ads, going incognito, avoiding social media, etc)because otherwise they'd be continuously barraged by companies.