Building in public is the fastest way to build trust at scale

Why I stopped hiding behind polish, shared the messy middle, and turned vulnerability into the foundation of my brand.

Building in public is the fastest way to build trust at scale, and I learned that long before I posted revenue snapshots or shared product drafts.

It started on a sidewalk in Singapore, wearing a skirt under the midday sun, meeting the familiar mix of stares and curiosity.

I felt the jolt of exposure in my body, the same sensation I now feel every time I publish a number or a half-formed idea. Visibility is a commitment I make to myself and to the people watching.

Once I step out the door, I don’t retreat to safety, but I keep walking, and that choice, repeated, built a spine for my work and a signal for my audience that I’m here, I’m building, and you can see how it’s going.

Most creators, founders and solopreneurs hide the messy middle, convinced that secrecy protects them from theft or judgment. I used to think that way inside newsrooms and boardrooms, too, until life demanded a different approach.