Funny enough I used to be in the same boat, thought flux was the answer to everything. But after testing a few different steels with the same flux, the results were way different than I expected. Definitely changed my mind on how much the base metal itself plays a role.

Next time try the free month first before committing to a big plan.

Eh it's really not that big of a deal, you overpaid for that flush honestly. Dish soap in a radiator is dumb but it's not gonna destroy anything long term.

Three months to double engagement sounds like a lot, but honestly, how many of those posts were just people holding up their phone to a QR code and forgetting about it. I've seen places try this and the engagement numbers look good on paper but you end up with a feed full of low-effort photos that don't really say anything about the coffee shop itself. Plus, once the free pastry offer stops, most of those people probably aren't sticking around to post again. It's more of a quick sugar hit for your account than real growth, if you ask me.

Man that shop guy gave you bad advice. I've been reading both for years and the whole idea of needing to build a base with one first is nonsense. The Marvel universe and DC universe are completely separate beasts with their own rules and histories jumping between them is gonna feel weird no matter what order you do it in. Honestly just grab whatever looks cool on the rack that month whether it's Batman or the X-Men and run with it.