vol.09 Build in Public - Even if it scares you

Let’s get one thing straight, no one has it all figured out. But some people look like they do.
That’s branding.

When I first started building something of my own, I thought I had to look legit before anyone would take me seriously. I delayed launches. I rewrote “About Us” pages and obsessed over every single button padding size.
But all that time, I wasn’t actually building anything real. I was just hiding.

It wasn’t until I posted something messy, like half-formed thoughts, sketchy screenshots, a product name I wasn’t even sure I liked yet, that I got my first real response.
A comment. Then another. Then someone DMed me with feedback, a suggestion, and eventually… a pre-order.

That’s when it clicked: people don’t connect with perfection. They connect with progress.

Being transparent about what you're building (and where you’re stuck) does a few things:

• It builds trust. People root for what they can see grow.
  
  
• It invites collaboration. Feedback flows when you stop pretending to have all the answers.
  
  
• It creates accountability. When people know what you’re building, you’re more likely to finish it.
  
  

Think of it like inviting people into the kitchen while you’re still cooking. They’re not judging your chopping technique, they’re just excited to eat.

But It’s Scary, Right?

Yup. Especially when it feels like you don’t know what you’re doing yet. But here’s the thing: no one else does either. Most of the polished, successful-looking founders you follow? They didn’t “build in stealth”. They just started sharing the moment it started looking like something. You don’t have to wait that long. Because the earlier you show up, the faster you get feedback. The faster you get feedback, the faster you build something people actually want.

What does “Building in Public” actually look like?

It’s not just tweeting numbers. It can be sharing a rough sketch of your landing page, talking about a bug you just fixed or even asking your audience for feature ideas. You should post every milestone, no matter how small it is. Was it hitting your first 100 followers, or having you first intro meeting? Just keep people in the loop.

You don’t need a thread with 10k likes. You need one person to see it and say: “Oh, I’ve been looking for something like this.”

When I started building in public, a few things happened fast: I got my first new clients, I learned what people actually cared about (vs. what I thought they cared about) and I had more inbound interest than I knew what to do with

And the best part? I didn’t feel like I was doing it alone anymore. I got to share my progress and work as well as see others share their path. We were helping each other and pushing ourselves to do more, do better. 

Your startup, product, or idea doesn’t need to be perfect before you talk about it. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Because building in public doesn’t just grow your business, it grows your belief in what you’re building.

People can’t support what they don’t see.

So post the sketch. Share the ugly draft. Talk through the stuck moment. Be real, be early, and keep showing up.

Even if you’re scared.

Especially then.

So we asked our Oddsbreakers,

At what stage did you start posting online about your product/work? Did that help?

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Conversatum

Ai

Transcription

In some senses yes, and in some senses no. I've joined communities that have given me a trusted circle of expert minds who give me feedback and advice about my journey. That has been game-changing. I've also asked questions of r/start-ups in the past and had some good validation and starting points for thought.

But I think we mean posting in larger public forums like Twitter or Instagram. I haven't posted much in these areas as I've believed that you need a certain amount of skill in social media in order to do so.

In all cases, however. I usually only find it useful to gauge the public for general sentiment as the many are often poor judges of specifics. You can see that if you have a look at ideology in politics! People on all sides hold fervent views about topics for which they have studied little! I picked up on that after reading The Republic.

Besides the basis for my thoughts on this in Plato's writing, this resonates in several studies which tell that a mass of people guessing at the number of Jellybeans in a jar almost always average out to the correct amount within small error, but it is highly unusual for any one to get the number right on their own.

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GoodWatch

Entertainment

Media

I wanted to feel accountable for creating something valuable.

Talking to friends and family wasn't enough for previous projects, so I started posting online about GoodWatch from Day 1. My first design mockup was roasted on Reddit. I started posting on X. Posted two technical blog posts on dev.to. Back to reddit with more roasting. Got banned on a few subreddits for self-promo. I am planning to start with Video content on Youtube and Tiktok.

I don't have many followers, but it was enough to get a few likes and insightful comments. Posting online helps me to recalibrate what's important to do next. And I got to know some great people who are now part of the community and regularly check in to observe how the project evolves.

I don't know a lot about marketing, and I'm trying my best to post interesting content to attract more followers. In the long run, it can only help.

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