Are indie hacker lifetime deals scams, or just badly explained?

I keep seeing indie products offer "lifetime" deals, and opinions online seem split down the middle.

From what I've read, the buyer side worries about a few things:

• "Lifetime" usually means the lifetime of the product, not yours
• What happens if the founder shuts down or sells
• Whether the quality holds up once the cash is collected

Founders argue it's a legit way to fund early development and that lifetime buyers often become your biggest advocates. Others say it's unsustainable and ends up hurting the very customers who bought in.

So I'm curious:

1. Have you bought a lifetime deal that paid off?
2. Have you been burned, and what were the warning signs?
3. Founders: would you do one again?

What's your rule for deciding if one is worth it?

Author: Jealous-Dance-8007