The 'build in public' movement has taken the tech industry by storm, introducing a new era of transparency and community engagement. By openly sharing their development processes, challenges, and successes, companies not only foster trust but also gather valuable feedback that can guide their journey. In this comprehensive guide, we explore 50 companies that have embraced this movement, offering insights into their strategies and what you can learn from them.

What Does It Mean to Build in Public?

Building in public refers to the practice of companies sharing their development journey openly with the public. This can include sharing design drafts, progress updates, failures, and successes. The goal is to create a transparent relationship with customers and followers, inviting them to participate in the development process.

Benefits of Building in Public

• Customer Engagement: By involving customers in the development process, companies can create a loyal community.
• Improved Feedback: Real-time feedback from users can guide product improvements and innovations.
• Increased Transparency: Transparency builds trust, which is crucial for brand loyalty.

Top 50 Companies Building in Public

1. Buffer: Known for social media management tools, Buffer shares insights into their company culture, product development, and financials.
2. Figma: As a collaborative design platform, Figma shares updates and roadmaps, allowing users to anticipate new features.
3. Notion: This productivity tool company shares its journey through detailed blog posts and community updates.
4. Gumroad: An online platform for creators, Gumroad shares revenue numbers and development updates, fostering a community of creators.
5. Basecamp: Known for project management software, Basecamp is transparent about its business practices and product changes.
6. ConvertKit: An email marketing tool for creators, ConvertKit shares its financials and product development openly.
7. Stripe: A payment processing company that shares its API changes and product updates with the developer community.
8. Glitch: An online code editor that encourages community feedback and shares product improvements regularly.
9. Indie Hackers: A community for independent developers sharing their journeys and product updates.
10. Product Hunt: A platform for discovering new tech products that openly shares community feedback and product evolution.
11. Zapier: Automation software that shares how they build and improve their product through blog posts and community forums.
12. Trello: Known for its project management boards, Trello shares updates and user stories to improve its services.
13. Intercom: A customer messaging platform that shares product updates and best practices in customer engagement.
14. Paddle: A SaaS payment infrastructure company that shares its growth journey and financial milestones.
15. Ghost: A publishing platform for creators that shares its roadmap and financials with the community.
16. Revolut: A financial technology company that shares its product updates and security enhancements.
17. Twitch: A live streaming platform that shares updates and community guidelines to improve user experience.
18. Slack: Known for its communication platform, Slack shares product changes and community-driven improvements.
19. Clubhouse: An audio-based social network sharing its community growth and new features.
20. Canva: A graphic design platform that shares user stories and product enhancements regularly.
21. Airbnb: A hospitality service that shares its journey of adapting to market changes and user needs.
22. Spotify: Known for its music streaming, Spotify shares its algorithm improvements and new features with users.
23. Kickstarter: A crowdfunding platform that shares project successes and community feedback.
24. Patreon: A platform that supports creators by sharing product updates and financial growth openly.
25. SoundCloud: An online audio distribution platform sharing its development journey and user engagement strategies.
26. Coursera: An online learning platform that shares course development and user success stories.
27. Udacity: Known for its online courses, Udacity shares updates on course offerings and user feedback.
28. Duolingo: A language learning app sharing its growth metrics and user engagement insights.
29. Asana: A project management tool that shares product updates and user success stories.
30. HubSpot: Known for its marketing software, HubSpot shares product updates and user engagement strategies.
31. Zoom: A video conferencing tool that shares security updates and user feedback for product improvement.
32. Dropbox: A cloud storage service that shares its journey of innovation and user engagement.
33. GitHub: A development platform sharing its product updates and community-driven improvements.
34. Shopify: An e-commerce platform sharing its journey of growth and new feature releases.
35. Peloton: Known for its fitness equipment, Peloton shares updates on product innovation and user stories.
36. Robinhood: A financial services company sharing product updates and security enhancements.
37. Calendly: A scheduling platform that shares its product development journey and user feedback.
38. Mailchimp: An email marketing service sharing product updates and user success stories.
39. Evernote: A note-taking app that shares its journey of product improvement and user engagement.
40. Reddit: A social news aggregation platform sharing its community growth and new features.
41. Eventbrite: Known for event management, Eventbrite shares product updates and community feedback.
42. LinkedIn: A professional networking site sharing its development journey and new features.
43. Hootsuite: A social media management platform sharing product updates and community-driven improvements.
44. Square: A payment processing platform sharing its journey of product innovation and user engagement.
45. WeWork: Known for shared workspaces, WeWork shares its journey of adapting to market changes.
46. Yelp: A business directory service sharing its product updates and community engagement strategies.
47. PayPal: A payment processing company sharing updates on security and new features.
48. Twilio: A cloud communications platform sharing its product updates and developer engagement strategies.
49. ZoomInfo: A business intelligence tool sharing its journey of growth and product improvements.

Actionable Advice for Companies Considering Building in Public

• Start Small: Begin by sharing small updates and gradually increase transparency as you build confidence.
• Engage Your Audience: Actively seek feedback and involve your audience in decision-making processes.
• Be Authentic: Transparency should be genuine; share both successes and failures to build trust.
• Use Multiple Channels: Leverage social media, blogs, and newsletters to reach a wider audience.

Conclusion

The 'build in public' movement offers a unique opportunity for companies to connect with their audience on a deeper level. By being transparent about their journey, these 50 companies have not only built stronger brands but have also fostered communities that support and contribute to their success. Whether you're a startup or an established business, embracing this approach could lead to greater innovation and customer loyalty.