Why have we accepted that building in public is just how it's done?

When it comes to brand, the “fix it later” mentality has a cost. And it's almost always higher than the work you avoided at the start.

There's a version of building in public that looks like confidence but is really just seeking permission. Every like becomes evidence that you're on the right track. Every comment shapes the next decision. And slowly you stop building what you believe and start building what gets a response.

By the time you notice, you're already far from where you started.

The brands worth building can't be explained yet. They need to be lived in before they're launched and wrestled with. Walked around at 2 am. They need your hands on them before they need anyone else's eyes on them.

Sharing too early doesn't accelerate the work. It exposes it before it knows what it is.

Think about the brand you most respect. Chances are, they weren't the loudest when they started. Just the most committed when nobody was watching.

If something is sitting uncomfortably inside you right now → a direction you keep almost committing to, then pulling back, then maybe that discomfort isn't a problem to fix.

Maybe it's an invitation to stay.

Your brand is one of the greatest mirrors you'll ever stand in front of. Founders don't just bring their vision to the work. They bring their history too. Who you are becoming in private; how you handle the uncertainty, the doubt, the unwitnessed effort. That becomes either your greatest competitive advantage or your quietest constraint.

Avoiding who you really are is the real imposter syndrome. Not the other way around.

Sit with:

What would you still be building if nobody was watching?

— Ian Adams, Founder @ sofa.

20 years. 8 countries. Global brands. Now I sit with founders and do the uncomfortable work that makes their brand unshakable. Impossible to ignore.

A quick word from someone who also believes the best work happens before everyone else is paying attention.

👇

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