BUILDING IN PUBLIC: The Courage to Share Your Business Before You're Ready.

“Start Before You're Ready; Building In Public As You Grow”

There’s an undeniable beauty in beginnings, a rawness and authenticity that’s often overlooked.

But there’s something even more beautiful about letting people see the beginning.

Not the final product.

Not the polished pitch.

The process: the messy, uncertain, hopeful middle.

That’s vulnerability.

The Quiet Beginnings We Don't Usually See.

Many businesses don’t start with a launch.

They start quietly: on lunch breaks, in notebooks, in living rooms, while no one’s watching.

Sometimes, the work begins long before anyone else knows it exists. And the decision to finally go public doesn’t come from confidence. It comes from courage — the courage to share your work, your vision, and your vulnerability with the world.

This kind of quiet beginning isn’t rare; it’s just rarely talked about.

Sketching Ideas Into Life

Take Glossier, for example.

Before it became a beauty brand known around the world, it was just a blog called Into The Gloss,

Emily Weiss was having honest conversations about skincare, sharing candid stories, and building a community one post at a time.

For years, it was simply that — words, connection, and trust.

Then, without waiting for the “perfect moment,” she invited her readers into something bigger.

She didn’t just sell to them; she built with them.

And as Glossier grew, the journey was public; pivots, experiments, rebrands, pauses to realign, all unfolding in front of the same people who saw it begin. That’s the thing: building in public isn’t just marketing. It’s letting your audience watch the story take shape. And it’s not easy.

That’s why this reminder matters so much in the messy middle:

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

— Zechariah 4:10

It’s not a call to have it all figured out, but a reassurance that your first, imperfect steps are worth celebrating even in business. God isn’t waiting for your work to be polished, He’s already rejoicing that you’ve begun.

We don’t talk enough about what it costs to let people in before you feel “ready.”

To share your vision while it’s still forming.

To take up space without a perfect system.

To admit you’re still figuring it out — out loud.

The truth is, you can care deeply, show up consistently, and still feel the quiet weight of being seen too soon. If that’s you, you’re not alone. There are more of us than you think.

“Start before you’re ready.” — Steven Pressfield.

So let’s talk about it:

• What does it look like to grow something real… with your audience as an integral part of the journey?

• How do you protect your vision from noise?

• And how do you keep showing up with heart, with integrity, when you’re still in the becoming?