Building in public is the practice of openly sharing a startup's journey as it happens, the progress, the decisions, the wins, and the struggles, rather than working in secret until a big reveal. It has become a popular approach, and for many founders, especially those without an existing audience, it can be genuinely powerful.
Sharing the journey openly builds several things at once. It attracts an audience of people interested in what you are doing, some of whom become early users, supporters, or hires. It generates feedback earlier, because people respond to what you share. And it creates accountability and momentum, since publicly committing to progress makes you more likely to make it. You start building relationships and reputation before you even have a finished product.
New founders often fear that sharing invites competitors to steal the idea. In practice, ideas are common and execution is everything, and the audience, trust, and feedback that openness builds usually outweigh the small risk of imitation. People are drawn to authenticity, including the honest sharing of struggles, not just polished wins, which builds a connection that pure marketing cannot.
Building in public is not free. It takes time and energy that could go into the product, it exposes you to public failure, and it is not right for every company, some genuinely benefit from stealth. The honest approach is to share what helps, protect what genuinely must stay private, and be authentic rather than performative. For a founder building in a place like the Valley, where community and visibility are scarce, building in public can be an especially effective way to create both.
Share the journey, and the audience comes before the product.
Valley Tech Lab is a free founder program in the Rio Grande Valley, convened by Greenridge Ventures.