Building in public: why and how to document your journey

Building in public is the practice of openly sharing the process of creating a product: decisions, mistakes, numbers and learnings. It’s not about looking perfect; it’s about being useful and creating connection.

Why it’s worth it

• Audience from the start: people who follow your journey tend to care about the launch and to try the product.
• Accountability: when you state goals in public, it’s easier to keep pace.
• Early feedback: sharing ideas and decisions generates comments that help you correct course before investing months in something nobody wants.
• Network: other devs and founders get to know you; partnerships and opportunities come from that ecosystem.

How to do it in practice

• Pick one channel: Twitter/X, LinkedIn, newsletter or blog. One channel done well beats several done halfway.
• Frequency: posting 1–3 times per week already builds consistency without eating all your time.
• Share what matters: “this week I shipped X and learned Y”, “the problem I’m trying to solve”, “current metrics”. Real numbers (even small) get more engagement than vague ones.
• Be useful: share code, tools, mistakes you made and how you fixed them. Content that helps attracts people who relate to your context.

Building in public isn’t mandatory, but for many indies it’s the most natural way to grow audience and support before and after launch.