I’ve used a lot of real estate on the blog to talk about trust and how it relates to profits in the MS game. Today, I want to go a step further into the importance of trust and community. If it wasn’t already, trust is now a currency in and of itself in the hobby given the environment we’re operating in.

First off, there’s the obvious fact that there’s a finite number of people that are both cut out for and enthusiastic about a hobby and/or side hustle that requires the amount of work that this one does. It’s a pretty small world, and word gets around quickly. 

By and large, the community functions on mutual benefit, and that self-moderation generally leads to most exchanges going smoothly. Maybe not 100% of the time, but close enough, especially given the amount of cash and cash equivalents involved. 

Even with that mutual respect, your trust (and other’s trust in you) will be tested at various points in the game. This trust shows up in very practical situations like:

• You and a fellow churner decide to make a swap, and somebody needs to send their end of the bargain first
• Somebody entrusts you with a sensitive play that isn’t meant to be widely shared
• You float products to some semblance of a buyer’s group (which may also mean that they float to their end user)

Generally, these situations work out well because there’s an understanding that it’s mutually beneficial for both parties for things to go off without a hitch. 

And sometimes, the reputational effect of a choice isn’t directly linked to a low-stakes transaction like sending an acquaintance an Admiral’s Club pass, and is more tied to the health of the community at large.

For example, when you do something like making the choice to go scorched earth on a target and shine a flashing light on the play that the community was collectively profiting from, you can’t be surprised when people are justifiably upset at you. You didn’t kill it for just yourself – you killed it for everyone. 

Ultimately, everyone in this community is a gamer, a gambler, a FIRE adherent, or some combination of all three. Let’s not pretend that we aren’t all here to make money while seeing the world on the cheap.

Earnings and community aren’t mutually exclusive, but the tension between them is very real – and it should make you think carefully before sharing something sensitive.

The fact that so many plays died in 2025 has made the math even more complicated, and I think the tension between the two is only going to get worse. That tension has completely changed how plays are shared. So, what is the right balance for dolphins and whales who care about and want to give back to the community, while also avoiding killing off a good play? 

As discussed a couple of weeks ago, there’s little incentive to bubble anything that remotely approaches unicorn outside of DMs anymore. Sometimes, it feels like the community is grasping at the scraps left behind to figure out how to scale something up that isn’t actually scalable. 

At this point, your reputation in the community and the trust you’ve earned with fellow churners is going to matter more than ever. Simply joining a paid group and being instantly introduced to the easiest MS of all time isn’t viable anymore, because the big banks are clearly done being abused in such an easily recognizable way. 

There’s plenty of smart people out there in the community that are still finding amazing plays, but networking and bringing something to the table yourself is going to be necessary if you want to be involved. 

So, where are the killer plays that make or break your MS year in 2026 going to come from? My crystal ball is looking a little murky, but I think it’s going to look different than it has the last few years. 

For the time being, keep building those relationships with like minded probers. There’s strength in numbers, and your unicorn might be just around the corner.

祝你们的调查顺利，我的朋友们！