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Why It’s Time to Build in Public
We’re thinking about creation and reputation backward.
When I tell people they should build in public, I get a look of horror. “But it’s not ready yet!” they protest. “What if people see my mistakes?”
The standard way to build things is in “stealthmode” — to work in secret until everything is polished and perfect. Only then do you reveal your masterpiece to the world, hoping to bask in acclaim rather than wither under criticism.
This is completely wrong.
Not only is building in public better for the creator — it’s better for everyone else, too.
Let me explain why.
The Stealth Mode Tax
Every time you choose to build something in private, you pay an invisible tax, and it comes in several forms:
First, you lose all the potential feedback that could have improved your work. When you build in private, you’re operating with a sample size of one — yourself. Your blind spots remain blind spots. Your implicit assumptions go unchallenged. The use cases you didn’t think of stay unconsidered.
Second, you miss out on the motivational effects of public accountability. When you build in public, you create subtle pressure to keep making progress — not…