The startup ecosystem in 2025 is more transparent than ever. Founders are no longer building quietly behind the scenes; they’re sharing milestones, failures, and product iterations in real time. What used to be considered oversharing has evolved into one of the most effective personal branding strategies for modern entrepreneurs. This shift is known as building in public.

In an age where AI can generate perfect marketing copy in seconds, audiences have developed a new preference: imperfection with honesty. The founder who posts about fixing a late-night bug or celebrates their first $1,000 in MRR with gratitude often captures more attention than polished corporate updates. Authenticity has become the ultimate growth engine.

This article explores how building in public reshapes personal branding, why it’s driving measurable results for founders, and how AI tools can make the process sustainable without sacrificing authenticity.

Why founders are building in public

The traditional approach to entrepreneurship was built on secrecy. Founders kept their product roadmaps, metrics, and missteps private until they had a press-worthy story to tell. That model doesn’t work in 2025. Today’s audiences expect transparency, and startups that stay hidden risk irrelevance.

According to the 2025 Indie Startup Report by MicroConf, 68% of early-stage founders say that building in public helped them attract early users, investors, or hires. The data shows what the market already feels: people no longer buy from companies; they buy from people they trust.

Transparency creates emotional equity. By inviting audiences into the process, founders build credibility faster than any paid campaign can. When people see your struggles, decisions, and growth in real time, they feel part of your story rather than spectators of your success.

This approach also has four measurable benefits:

1. Trust building
   Openness fosters loyalty. Audiences engage more deeply with founders who reveal both wins and failures.
   
   

2. Community growth
   Transparency encourages participation. Feedback loops and public discussions create belonging.
   
   

3. Accountability
   Sharing progress motivates consistency. Once your goals are public, execution becomes a commitment.
   
   

4. Equity in the founder
   Even if a product fails, your audience follows you to the next project. The brand equity stays with the builder, not just the business.

A well-known example is Pieter Levels, founder of Nomad List and Remote OK. His journey, shared through revenue charts, product updates, and raw insights, built not just two profitable businesses, but a global following of over 400,000 people. His brand is now synonymous with transparency-driven success.

From company story to founder story

The attention economy rewards faces over logos. In an AI-driven world where automation can produce corporate content effortlessly, human stories remain the differentiator. According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Creator Report, posts that feature behind-the-scenes reflections or personal insights receive 3.2× higher engagement than generic company announcements.

The takeaway: your personal brand is your company’s most valuable marketing asset.

Founders who communicate with vulnerability transform abstract startups into relatable narratives. When you document early traction, funding milestones, or product setbacks, you don’t just market your product; you humanize your mission. This transparency builds what corporate branding cannot: emotional connection.

Consider the shift this way: in the last decade, brand storytelling evolved from company-centric to founder-centric. The “About Us” page has been replaced by the founder’s LinkedIn feed, where daily updates carry more influence than press releases. Authenticity, not advertising, drives visibility.

How to build in public without oversharing

Building in public doesn’t mean disclosing every metric or decision. It’s about providing context rather than constant updates. Founders who build trust effectively know how to balance openness with discretion.

A sustainable framework follows three principles:

1. Show
   Share your progress. Whether it’s a new feature, a milestone, or a tough decision, transparency keeps your audience invested.
   
   

2. Reflect
   Provide insight into what you’ve learned. Reflection adds depth and transforms an update into a story.
   
   

3. Ask
   Involve your community. Invite opinions or feedback to foster engagement and collaboration.

According to Buffer’s 2025 Transparency Report, startups that shared consistent public updates experienced 45% higher inbound traffic and 28% faster community growth than those that operated in stealth. The takeaway is clear: openness scales trust, and trust scales reach.

The difference between meaningful sharing and oversharing is intention. If your post educates, inspires, or involves your audience, it adds value. If it seeks validation, it distracts.

The compounding ROI of building in public

Unlike traditional marketing, building in public compounds over time. Each post becomes a digital asset that strengthens your credibility and discoverability. The long-term ROI extends far beyond likes or impressions.

1. Organic reach
   Founders become discoverable through shared stories and mentions rather than paid promotion.
   
   

2. Credibility
   Public documentation showcases your thinking process and problem-solving approach, attracting investors and collaborators.
   
   

3. Feedback loops
   Sharing early ideas allows your audience to contribute to product direction, turning users into co-creators.
   
   

4. Inbound growth
   According to Indie Hackers’ 2025 Insights, founders who post weekly report 40–60% more inbound leads than those who remain inactive.

The real value lies in perception: people begin to root for your success because they’ve witnessed the effort behind it. Transparency builds empathy, and empathy drives advocacy.

The consistency challenge for founders

Despite its benefits, the hardest part of building in public is maintaining consistency. Founders are already managing fundraising, team leadership, and product execution. Regular posting feels like another full-time job.

Yet the data shows that consistency is non-negotiable. The 2025 LinkedIn Branding Report reveals that professionals who post at least once per week see 73% more profile views and significantly higher connection growth. Visibility rewards repetition.

However, consistency doesn’t mean endless output. It means rhythm. The best founders document their journey in manageable ways: summarizing weekly progress, sharing product insights, or reflecting on customer conversations. The secret is building a system that fits your workflow.

How AI supports founders without replacing authenticity

This is where AI plays a transformative role. Modern founders don’t need ghostwriters; they need creative infrastructure. AI tools like AnyStory provide that support by helping founders publish consistently in their authentic voice.

AnyStory functions as an AI content engine that assists at every stage of storytelling:

• Idea Generation: It identifies trending topics or recurring themes based on your audience’s interests.

• Writing Assistance: It helps structure posts in your tone, maintaining conversational rhythm while improving clarity.

• Platform Adaptation: It optimizes your post for LinkedIn, X, or your blog without losing context.

• Feedback Analysis: It reviews engagement metrics to refine future posts and maintain authenticity.

By automating the technical friction—formatting, editing, repurposing—AI enables founders to focus on substance. As a result, they maintain momentum without burnout.

AI doesn’t replace human storytelling; it accelerates it. By learning your tone and writing patterns, AnyStory helps you sound like yourself on your best day. It’s technology that amplifies, not imitates.

The human factor: Why authenticity still wins

Even with advanced AI support, authenticity remains the ultimate competitive edge. The most successful founders use technology as leverage, not identity. Audiences don’t want to follow perfect posts; they want to follow evolving people.

The 2025 Sprout Social Report found that 78% of users engage more with founder-led updates than brand accounts. People are more likely to trust insights from a human than a company feed. This behavioral pattern underscores a broader truth: in the era of AI abundance, humanity is scarcity.

The future belongs to founders who understand this balance. Those who share real stories, informed by data but grounded in empathy, will dominate the narrative economy.

Final thoughts: Building trust, not just products

Building in public is more than a social strategy; it’s a mindset shift. It transforms branding from an afterthought into a daily discipline. Founders who master it don’t just build companies; they build movements.

You don’t need a PR team to create visibility. You need consistency, transparency, and the right systems to sustain them. That’s what tools like AnyStory enable, helping founders communicate authentically, efficiently, and at scale.

In a world flooded with AI-generated perfection, imperfection has become your advantage. So keep building. Keep sharing. Because your story, told with honesty, will always be the most compelling thing you can publish.