Building in Public is a great way to engage your community and can be a powerful lever for growth, but what are the realities of maintaining and scaling owned content?

In a recent discussion in our SF office, founders Daksh Gupta of Greptile and Siqi Chen of Runway shared insights on the benefits of “Building in Public” as early stage founders. They discussed the value of transparency and community engagement, showcasing how sharing their personal stories through content can deepen customer relationships, build trust, and increase brand loyalty.

Key Themes:

Transparency as a Tool for Education and Advocacy: Both founders highlighted the effectiveness of sharing behind-the-scenes content. By gradually unveiling aspects of their businesses, they educate and engage their audiences over time. This approach fosters a narrative around the brand, where customers feel part of the growth story. 

“Transparency doesn’t mean just sharing revenue numbers,” Daksh said. “It’s about opening up in ways that work for you. For example, we’ll share a graph to let people see our growth, and that graph tells our audience a story without us having to say a word.”

The Spectrum of Building in Public: Transparency doesn’t have to mean sharing everything. Both founders emphasized choosing the right level of transparency for their businesses. For instance, Runway shares high-level financial insights selectively to convey credibility, especially to large, regulated customers. 

“It’s about showing enough to let customers know we’re legit,” Siqi said. “Sometimes all you need is a hint of a story, and people fill in the rest.”

Engagement through Authenticity: The panelists shared examples of posting content that humanizes their companies—such as relatable, everyday office photos and questions to the audience on product decisions. By showing their authentic selves, the founders form genuine connections with their audiences. 

“I put up a LinkedIn post asking for feedback on our landing page, and it blew up,” Daksh said. “The truth is, everyone loves to give feedback, and by inviting them in, they feel like a part of our journey.”

Brand Building through Storytelling: The discussion underscored that the story behind a company’s mission can be as important as the product itself. For Runway, storytelling is integral not only for external brand building but also as a guide for internal decision-making. 

“Our brand story is more than just a marketing tool,” Siqi said. “It shapes everything we do. We’re not just here to automate finance; we’re here to help people truly understand finance. That’s our differentiator.”

Practical Advice for Founders:

  • Embrace Small Steps in Transparency: Building in public doesn’t require exposing every detail. Start by sharing small insights or updates that showcase progress. As Siqi puts it, “Transparency is like adding spinach to ice cream—done right, people get the benefits without even noticing.”
  • Focus on Authentic Connections: Share personal experiences and relatable content to create a sense of community. “People don’t want to connect with a faceless company; they want to know the people behind it,” Daksh said. “A picture of our office dining table got way more engagement than I expected—people like knowing we’re real.”
  • Develop a Strong Story: A compelling brand story helps attract customers and talent, while also aligning internal teams around a shared mission. “The story of your company should be something only you can tell. If everyone else in your industry is saying the same thing, it’s time to rethink it.