Ingenious indie hacker funds $3,000 MacBook purchase by selling advertising space on the lid — sticker space auction has already raised 111% of the price of the laptop

An enterprising founder and indie hacker has successfully pre-sold enough advertisement sticker space on his dream MacBook’s lid to raise 111% of the laptop’s retail price. Vincent, AKA @VynseDev on Twitter/X, has so far raised $3,274 across a total of 10 sticker positions. With over 12 days of the auction remaining, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the cheeky Bordeaux-based chancer could raise enough for several laptops.

Vincent admits that his Brand My Mac project isn’t an original idea. In a follow-up Tweet, the founder tips his hat to prior projects like Outbid by Jonathan Wilke and BrandMyTesla from Im Bulent. We also recall money-spinning digital online experiments in a similar vein, like the Million Dollar Homepage, and perhaps even the whole NFT industry.

However, the fact that these projects get column inches in media coverage shows that the auctioned advertising space isn’t just seen on Vincent’s new MacBook “both online and IRL.” Advertisers also might get their logos seen in articles like this, as well as in subsequent coverage that comes at the end of the auction.

While logos in the video are obviously placeholders, as Vincent also mentions on social media, the Brand My Mac website shows the current 10 leading bidders’ logos and positions in a rendered Apple laptop. Also on the dedicated auction website, you can see the current winning bid for each spot. Note that some spots command far higher premiums than others, and on either side of the immutable Apple logo there are a pair of half-sized slots.

The prime advertising real estate area of a laptop lid seems to be at the top-middle position, above the Apple logo. Currently, the leader here is RISTI with its bid of $761. For the fee, and by our understanding of the FAQ, Vincent will print and apply a “die-cut vinyl sticker of your logo” in the position you secure. A link on the Brand My Mac website is also thrown in. If you are interested in bidding, you must at least beat the current bid by €10 ($11.65).

With this latest ‘Brand My’ project going viral and already a surefire success, there are some copycat endeavors popping up. Actually, Vincent sees copycats as an opportunity so has decided to create a waitlist for followers to highlight any machine, at any price. Then Vincent’s backend build will have you covered: “the sticker spots, the auction, and everything else is handled for you,” says the enterprising founder and indie hacker.