60 days startup lesson - 45 - Building in Public, Should You Do It?

 60 days startup lesson - 45

Building in Public, Should You Do It?

In an era of highly polished brands and curated social media feeds, a new, radically transparent approach has emerged: "Building in Public." This is the practice of sharing your entire entrepreneurial or creative journey the successes, the failures, the numbers, and the daily lessons openly with an online audience. It transforms the solitary act of creation into a collaborative process, turning observers into a loyal community. But while its proponents swear by its power, this strategy demands careful consideration to determine if it's the right path for you.

What is Building in Public?

Building in Public is the practice of sharing your entrepreneurial journey openly. This means documenting the process the wins, the losses, the numbers, the lessons, and the real-time challenges on social media (like X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers) or through blogs and newsletters. It's transparency as a strategy.

The Case FOR Building in Public

• Build an Audience from Day Zero: You market the process, not just the product. This generates curiosity and attracts early adopters who feel invested in your success long before launch.

• Get Unfiltered Feedback: Sharing early ideas and MVPs provides invaluable real-time feedback. Your audience can help you course-correct, validate features, and avoid costly mistakes.

• Establish Trust and Authenticity: People connect with human stories, not faceless corporations. Showing your struggles and triumphs builds immense trust and loyalty, which can become your strongest competitive advantage.

• Create Accountability: Publicly stating your goals creates a powerful incentive to follow through. Your audience becomes your accountability partner, pushing you to make consistent progress.

• Attract Opportunities: Transparency can attract co-founders, beta testers, partners, and even investors who are aligned with your mission and have followed your journey.

The Case for CAUTION

• The Fear of Idea Theft: This is the most common objection. While execution is almost always harder than the idea, the risk is real, especially for simple, easily replicated concepts.

• Immense Pressure and Scrutiny: You are opening yourself up to public criticism and the pressure of performing for an audience. Bad days or failures can feel magnified, leading to stress and burnout.

• The Distraction Factor: The act of documenting the work can often distract from doing the work. Content creation is time-consuming and can pull you away from deep, focused building.

• Giving Away Your Playbook: You might inadvertently reveal a unique operational advantage, a key marketing strategy, or sensitive financial information that competitors can use.

So, Should YOU Do It? Ask Yourself These Questions:

1. What is my personality type? Do I thrive on external validation and community interaction, or does the thought of public scrutiny cause anxiety?

2. Who is my audience? Are they active on platforms like X/Twitter, LinkedIn, or Reddit? Will they appreciate this level of transparency?

3. What is my product? Is it a B2C SaaS app where community matters, or a highly specialized B2B enterprise solution where your clients care more about security and results than your journey?

4. What are my goals? Is my primary goal right now to build a community and get early users, or is it to secure patents and conduct silent, intensive R&D?

Conclusion

Building in public is a powerful but personal choice. It excels at building trust and community quickly but requires a tolerance for transparency and feedback. Weigh the benefits of audience growth against the risks of distraction and exposure. If you do it, focus on sharing your journey authentically to turn followers into advocates.

❓What is one small step you can take this week to share your process and invite others into your journey?

💡"Build in public. Share your journey. Your story is your competitive advantage." This modern mantra captures the essence of the movement: that in a world of polished brands, raw authenticity is the new premium.

"Your work doesn't speak for itself. You have to speak for your work and the best way to do that is to let people see how it’s made."

— Paul Jarvis

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