Building in Public

Why More Founders Are Building Their Startups in the Open

Once upon a time, startups operated like secret underground labs—founders would tinker away in stealth mode, perfecting their product before finally unveiling it to the world. But today? The smartest founders are building in public, sharing everything from their wins to their biggest failures, and turning their audience into an engaged, loyal community before their product even launches.

This shift isn’t just a trendy social media play—it’s a strategic growth advantage. When you build in public, you’re not just documenting your journey; you’re attracting early customers, potential investors, and top talent who buy into your vision before you even have a finished product. Plus, it makes marketing way easier—your audience follows your progress, gets invested, and naturally spreads the word.

What Does "Building in Public" Actually Look Like?

At its core, growing in public means transparently sharing your startup journey online—through Twitter (X) threads, LinkedIn posts, YouTube videos, or even weekly email updates. Founders share revenue milestones, product roadmaps, lessons learned, and even their biggest failures. This raw, behind-the-scenes approach humanizes the brand and makes people root for your success.

Shaan Puri, who is the host of one of my favorite Podcasts - My First Million for example. He openly shared his process of building Milk Road, a crypto newsletter that scaled to 250,000+ subscribers before selling it. By documenting every step—his content strategy, monetization approach, and even subscriber growth—he built a loyal audience that helped fuel his success. Business owners, bootstrappers, and venture-backed founders alike are leveraging this approach to grow faster with fewer resources.

SEO Benefits of Growing in Public

Beyond audience engagement, building in public is also a powerful SEO strategy for startup founders. When you consistently share updates and insights, you create searchable content that attracts organic traffic. Some key benefits include:

💻 Increased Backlinks – When people reference your journey, you earn high-quality backlinks from blogs, news sites, and social media.
⌨️ Keyword Optimization – You naturally rank for industry-specific keywords (e.g., “early-stage startup growth strategies” or “how to validate a startup idea”).
🖥️ Boosted Domain Authority – Frequent, valuable content improves your website’s authority, leading to higher search rankings over time.

By combining personal storytelling with smart keyword strategy, you turn your startup journey into a lead-generating machine.

The Benefits of Growing in Public

So why are more founders jumping on this trend? Because it solves a lot of early-stage startup problems:

1. Instant Feedback Loop – Instead of guessing what customers want, you get real-time reactions from potential users.

2. Early Audience & Brand Trust – You create a community of loyal supporters before your product even fully launches.

3. Attracting Investors & Talent – Transparency signals confidence and helps you stand out in a crowded startup world.

4. Built-in Marketing – Your journey itself becomes content, making it easier to generate organic buzz.

The Risks (and How to Avoid Them)

Of course, building in public isn’t for everyone. There will be plenty of “haters”—when you share openly, you invite criticism. Some founders also fear revealing too much and losing their competitive edge. Striking a balance is key—be transparent, but don’t give away your secret sauce. Share lessons, insights, and challenges, but keep proprietary strategies under wraps.

It’s also important to stay consistent. Many founders start strong but then stop posting once things get tough. The reality is, sharing both wins and struggles builds credibility. Your audience doesn’t expect perfection—they expect authenticity.

Is Growing in Public Right for Your Startup?

If you want to build trust, grow an audience, and make marketing easier, then yes—growing in public is worth considering. Start small: share product updates, customer insights, or lessons learned. You don’t have to reveal everything, but by making your journey part of your brand, you create a startup people actually want to follow.

Want to see this strategy in action? Follow successful founders on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube who are already doing it, and take notes. Or better yet—start sharing your own journey!