Glossary/Give-first
Give-first — definition
Give-first is an exchange rule where you help someone else before you receive the same kind of help. On ProofSwap, you submit proof for another project, which puts your own listing live and in front of the founders best placed to help you back — no cold “can you review me?” DMs required upfront.
Why it matters for indie developers
Cold outreach for testimonials fails because strangers owe you nothing. Give-first flips the social contract: you prove you are useful, then the network owes you a turn.
It also filters freeloaders. Markets that let people take without giving fill with ghost listings; give-first keeps participants who ship real tweets, testimonials, and write-ups.
Related terms
Go deeper: Read the ProofSwap definition and FAQ