Editorial Disclosure

How sponsored field notes work on Manny Focus, who pays for what, and why you can trust the reviews anyway. Last updated 2026-05-29.

The 30-day rule

I do not write a field note — sponsored or unsponsored — about a tool, service, or system I have not personally used for at least 30 days as part of how I actually work. Most things get 60 days or longer before I publish. Several sponsorships have been declined because the timeline did not allow this.

How sponsored field notes are labeled

When a field note is sponsored, three signals appear before you have to scroll:

1. The dark "SPONSORED" strip at the very top of the page, above the masthead.
2. A "Sponsored" tag in the kicker line directly above the article title.
3. A dark sponsor box partway through the article, set apart from the body text with the sponsor name and a single call-to-action link.

If you do not see all three, the field note is unsponsored and there is no commercial relationship between me and any tool mentioned.

Money

Sponsored field notes pay Manny Focus either as a flat sponsorship fee, as an affiliate-commission arrangement on actions generated through the sponsor link, or both. The sponsor does not see the essay before publication. The sponsor cannot demand revisions after publication except to correct factual errors about their own product (price, features, etc.). Editorial control of the text stays with me in every case.

What sponsorship cannot buy

A positive review. Several products from sponsors who paid for slots were never published because, after 30 days, I would not recommend them. The slots were refunded. Future sponsors should assume the same will happen if the product does not earn it.

FTC compliance

All sponsored content on Manny Focus is disclosed in accordance with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides (16 C.F.R. Part 255). Sponsored links use the rel="sponsored" attribute. Affiliate-commission relationships are disclosed in the sponsor box.

Contact

Questions about a specific field note, this disclosure, or a sponsorship inquiry: manny@mannyfocus.com.