Jack Butcher on Building in Public
From building Visualize Value since 2019.
Building in public means sharing what you're working on while you're working on it. The process becomes the content. The content builds the audience. The audience creates opportunity.
Most people wait until something is finished to share it. By then, nobody saw the journey. Building in public means documenting the work as it happens — the decisions, the mistakes, the iterations.
This creates a compounding loop. Each post about what you're building attracts people interested in the same problems. By the time you ship, you already have an audience. The launch isn't cold — it's warm.
"The internet rewards people who show their process, not just their results." A polished portfolio shows competence. A public build log shows character. People trust the person who shared the ugly first draft more than the person who only showed the final version.
Building in public is also the fastest feedback loop available. Share what you're working on. See how people respond. Adjust. Share again. The feedback comes in real-time, from real people, about real work. No focus groups. No surveys. Just published work meeting an audience.
The risk feels high. "What if people judge my unfinished work?" They will. That's the feature, not the bug. The judgment is the feedback. The discomfort is the growth.
"Done is better than perfect." The act of publishing is the lesson. The content improves over time. The habit of sharing is what creates opportunity.
In his words
The internet rewards people who show their process, not just their results.
Done is better than perfect.
Selfishly pursue, selflessly publish.
If you have time to consume, you have time to produce.
If you think every day, write every day.
Where this applies
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