Every attribution model is wrong in a specific, known direction. First touch overvalues top-of-funnel content. Last touch overvalues brand search and direct. Position-based models split the difference with arbitrary weights.
The mistake is not using a flawed model. The mistake is forgetting which direction it is flawed in when you make budget decisions. If your model is last touch and brand search looks unbeatable, that is the map talking, not the territory.
A practical defense: run two models side by side and only act on decisions where they agree. When they disagree, that disagreement is the interesting signal. It usually points at a channel doing early-stage work your reporting cannot see. Self-reported attribution, one open text field on the demo form asking how the buyer heard of you, fills that gap more honestly than any model.
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