Netflix has cracked the secret code. The best way to rake up numbers and ratings is to keep churning out true crime shows. Right after Tinder Swindler, the platform dropped Inventing Anna, based on the true story of a charming young woman Anna Delvey. Anna poses as a German heiress with incredible net worth, and under the guise of it swindles Manhattan’s elites.

Viewers have been obsessed with the show. So much so that Inventing Anna is the top English language show on the streamer. But why the craze? Because we all see ourselves in her and we want to become like her. A successful grifter? No. But to invent our own version of Anna that is successful and smart. 

Every single character in Inventing Anna is building their own brand 

Anna Delvey knew what worked in this superficial internet culture. You don’t need a degree, a strategy, or even funding to have a business. You need a personal brand and manipulative skills. We see Anna holding on to her personal brand despite being on trial on charges of fraud. She asks for new clothes to stand in front of the judge and even demands Vivian avail the VIP services if she wants her story. 

Pregnant journalist Vivian is desperate to revive her brand value after she reported a fake story. Bloomberg rescinded their offer, and she was sent to the Serbia of journalism. She manipulates Anna to spill her story in exchange for fame. Anna’s boyfriend Chase invented an immigration story because he knew investors love a story. Anna’s lawyer took up her case because he wanted to be taken seriously by the legal elites. He didn’t just want to be a WeWork lawyer. 

Networking and having the right brand friends in your circle can scale up your brand value. Case in point, Anna befriending Kacy Duke and Taila Mally. Their friendships lend credibility to her brand, as you will witness in Inventing Anna. 

We are guilty of Inventing our Annas in real life, whether on LinkedIn or Instagram. What do you think about this little insight? Let us know in the comments!