Why One Founder Ditched the Old Rules and Won by Building in Public
Millennials were taught to build in private—to hide the messy middle and only show a polished, finished product. But that old rule is fading. Today, people trust those who share their journey, not just their results. Christin Marie Nichols, a self-taught jewelry founder, proved this works. She built a multi-million dollar brand by showing her work publicly, learning out loud, and turning her audience into a real-time feedback engine.
What Is Building in Public?
Building in public means sharing your process—the wins, the failures, and everything in between—while you're still learning. It's the opposite of waiting until you look perfect. This approach started with indie software founders and has spread to creators, small businesses, and even job seekers. The key shift: people now value visible progress over polished perfection.
How Christin Marie Nichols Turned Transparency Into a Business
Nichols had no formal training in jewelry design. Instead of hiding that gap, she made it her strength. She brought her audience along as she learned.
Real-Time Feedback Beats Market Research
Traditional companies spend months on market research. Nichols does it live. Every week, she hosts "Facetime Friday" on TikTok Shop. She shows new designs, asks for opinions, and watches reactions instantly. When she wanted to test a higher-priced collection, she simply wore it on a livestream. The demand was so strong she opened pre-orders right then.
This approach collapses the time between learning and selling. As Nichols puts it: "There hasn't been a faster turnaround to get real-time feedback on a product."
Trust Over Polish
Nichols doesn't push products. She naturally shows how she uses them. Her audience trusts her because she's honest, not because she looks perfect. She even dislikes the word "influencer." Instead, she focuses on building genuine relationships with her viewers.
Why This Works: The Numbers Behind Building in Public
The shift isn't just a trend. The data backs it up:
- Trust is local: Edelman's Trust Barometer shows people trust colleagues, neighbors, and CEOs they know more than distant institutions.
- Creator content wins: Audiences trust creator content over brand content by 61% to 38% (Cannes Lions data).
- Skills over credentials: 85% of employers now say they prioritize demonstrated skills over formal degrees.
This means being visibly in motion—sharing your learning process—is now more valuable than looking finished.
The Hard Part: Can Transparency Scale?
Building in public isn't easy forever. As you grow, you add teams, partners, and bigger stages. These often demand polished, finished presentations. Nichols admits she hears mixed messages: "People saying you can only do that for so long." No one has a perfect answer yet. But the direction is clear: those who share their work authentically are pulling ahead.
Key Takeaways for You
- Stop waiting until you feel ready. Share your learning process now.
- Use real-time feedback from your audience instead of guessing.
- Focus on building trust, not looking perfect.
- Remember: visible progress beats hidden perfection every time.
The old rule—build in private—is fading. The new rule: show your work, learn out loud, and let people see you grow. That's how you win today.
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