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Does build in public really work?

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Every day, I notice fewer people sharing their projects here.

A couple of months ago, build in public felt unstoppable: everyone was posting updates, numbers, roadmaps. Now? The hype seems to be fading… or maybe makers are just shipping quietly.

And here’s another angle: sharing MRR.

Some people love it. They say it inspires, creates transparency, and helps others learn. But to me, most of the time it feels like pure flexing. It rarely provides real value unless it’s paired with context (what worked, what didn’t, lessons learned).

So I’m curious:

👉 Do you think build in public is still worth it?

👉 And do you find value in seeing MRR numbers or is it just vanity?

Would love to hear your thoughts 👇

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I still see a lot of build in public posts on Bluesky. Don't know it's relative popularity there compared to Twitter.

I think of creating a profile on bluesky for this reason. Do you use it often? is it difficult to get an engagement there?

@busmark_w_nika I've seen that you also have a bluesky profile, what do you think about this platform?

 To be honest, the hype faded. I think it is a good social network, but atm it is more about politics topics and there are fewer "buildinpublic" friends :/

 So far I've had the best engagement of any social platform I've been on with it, so I can't complain.

 Interesting. What are the ones who build in public on Bluesky focusing on?

 The big ones I've noticed are:

  • ATproto (Bluesky is an open platform, and it has a pretty active community of makers building off its protocol)

  • AI-based tools (of course)

  • Browser extensions

  • Mobile apps

  • Indie games

I used to see more posts under the tag on Twitter, but lately they quit that group. Any idea what happened?

 Yes, the group itself has changed a lot. Some trends come and go so quickly that by the time you catch them, they’re already gone.

 The Build in Public community got sponsored by Bolt, which might be a reason people dropped. People could quit for ANY reason, as I've realised ever since I started spending time on PostHog and Clarity :')

 wait – do you mean that Build In Public community forum on X?

 So this comment was meant to be funny but yes the build in public community on X (the first one to be popular) is now backed by bolt.

 Ooooo, that's new for me. I am pretty curious about those monthly instalments :D

I personally feel building in silence has its own advantages. With the speed at which technology is advancing, there’s always the risk of being copied faster than the time you took to build. That’s why many makers hold back.

That said, if you’re confident your product truly stands out, early sharing doesn’t hurt. But rather than broadcasting everything publicly, I believe the right approach is to share discreetly with your target audience while building. They’re the ones who will eventually buy, and their early feedback and impressions are far more valuable than public vanity metrics.

So, instead of “build in public,” I’d call it “build with your audience"

 I agree. And how do you find your audience?

For me the journey has been fairly organic....I’ve been working with the same clients for years constantly engaging with them and listening to the challenges they haven’t yet got a solution for. That back-and-forth sparked the idea for what we’re building now. We started testing with those very clients from the earliest phases, and their feedback has been central in helping us improve and enhance our features and capabilities

I think like most things, it comes down to balance.

Build in public can be powerful when it’s more than just “look at me.” If updates include context, lessons, or even struggles, it becomes useful for others. On the flip side, oversharing every micro-metric can turn into noise or pressure to perform for the crowd.

MRR numbers are similar: without context, they’re just vanity. With context (what changed, what broke, what unexpectedly worked), they become case studies that others can learn from.

So maybe it’s less about whether build in public is “dead” or not, and more about whether people are striking the right balance between transparency and meaningful storytelling.

 we need "Mistakes in public"

I still think build in public is worth it, but only when it goes beyond numbers.

When people share just MRR, it feels like flexing. But when they add context like what they tried, what failed, and what moved the needle, that is where the real value comes in.

For me, the most useful updates are the messy ones: experiments, pivots, and even the things that did not work out. Those are what other makers can actually learn from.

So yes, I think build in public is alive, but it needs to shift more toward lessons and less toward vanity stats.

 Can you name authentic accounts that do exactly that provide real value?

marc lou for example is doing a good job with his newsletter

 yeah i am following him on X

oh nice. What do you think about his content?

 like him, but he has a lot of followers so the followers count help for his products. But like him!

Looking for smaller builders.

MRR without the story feels like flexing and sometimes it might be misleading. I think sharing lessons, struggles, and pivots it's more useful, at least here. Tbh, I personally see more such stories on linkedin than here but do not know how it used to be.

 exactly.

I used to be a big believer in building in public. But over time, I realized that many people who "build in public" aren't actually building products - they're building their personal brand and influence, hoping to monetize that rather than focusing on the actual product. Plus, there's always the risk of having your ideas stolen. So now I'm much more cautious about the whole "build in public" thing.

 I agree. Most do it to grow their followers and charge as influencers.

I'm starting a BIP series and now I'm even more motivated. Maybe I could bring the hype back (hopefully)!

 absolutely

Which social media channels?

 Everywhere except PH - I'm doing it on X, Reddit, LinkedIn and Instagram Reels.
Do you think its a good idea to post my progress on PH as well?

I think building in public can be a good marketing boost when your audience is also your commercial target

Other than that, it's at best a good way to motivate yourself and at worst: a distraction from building the thing people want as well as finding these people who'd want it.

As for the MRR, I learned to ignore it personally as it is hard to verify and founders could be incentivized to pump the numbers to artificially increase their credibility.

 That’s true. That’s why I call it “tweet in public.” Most people who write are actually just tweeting. They’re not building.

I felt most of the time people are sharing their MRRs rather than actual learnings lead to good MRR. Or may be my feed is worse.

 yes

another type of flex

what posts make more sense?

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