T he interwebs are buzzing with chatter about the aptly titled #buildinpublic approach to product building. While debates are ablaze on whether it is

To build in public or not… that’s the question, eh?

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2021-06-14 08:30:05

T he interwebs are buzzing with chatter about the aptly titled #buildinpublic approach to product building. While debates are ablaze on whether it is a mere trend or not, seeding products to established organizations (hello, Twitter Spaces) are all unearthing undeniable value in adopting this process. Their learnings are all out there. Yet product builders, especially those at early stages, have questions, like: How do we decide if it’s for us? Are there risks to this approach? What does it entail?

Here, I seek to take the edge off the dilemma that builds around these questions for an early-stage founder, while humbly adding to the #buildinpublic conversation. My insights stem from the juxtaposition of building in private at an R&D team for India’s fastest-growing startup (Swiggy) and building in public at an early-stage start-up (Pause).

While I view this writing as a bridge to more conversation, it can also be used as a decision-making guide while choosing one over the other. With the ‘why’ of this approach being easily accessible, I aim to share actionable guidance about ‘when’ you can choose to build in public.