So free mints supposedly underperform? That's a bold take that doesn't quite hold up. Sure, not every free mint turns into a success story, but writing them off entirely misses the nuance. The real question isn't whether free mints work—it's about execution, community, and long-term vision. Plenty of projects have used free mints strategically to build engaged communities that later drove real value. Sometimes the most vocal critics just haven't seen the right examples yet.