Build In Public (BIP) is a practice of sharing the creation process of a product or service with a wider audience, with the goal of inspiring and engaging like-minded people. It involves transparency, storytelling, and continuous progress updates to attract and motivate an audience.
BIP is more than just sharing updates and product milestones. It also includes celebrating small successes and learning from setbacks. Sharing both successes and challenges can provide valuable lessons for others in the community, helping everyone grow and succeed together.
The origin of Building in Public
The concept of BIP does not have a definitive point of origin; however, it can be traced back to when early internet entrepreneurs and companies began to openly share their business operations and development processes online.
BIP as a movement can be traced back to the practices of several pioneers. For instance, Joel Gascoigne, the co-founder and CEO of Buffer, is considered one of the pioneers of the BIP movement. In 2013, Buffer disclosed their brand culture and declared that "default to transparency" was their second core value, committing to a path of complete openness. They made public their revenue and user growth, employee salaries, and equity options, among other information. This approach was widely welcomed by the entrepreneurial community and has garnered them ongoing support.
Additionally, John O'Nolan, the founder of Ghost.org, announced in 2014 that they would follow in Buffer's footsteps to make their internal workings and content more transparent. They shared revenue and traffic data in their annual report and further propelled the development of the Build in Public movement by publicizing Ghost's metrics through an "Open Startup Profile" page.
The advantages of Build in Public
BIP as an emerging strategy for entrepreneurship and product development, offers a multitude of advantages that can aid founders and startups in growing with the attention and support of the public. Here are some of the key benefits of BIP:
Establishing accountability and motivation.
When a founder publicly commits and shares their progress, they become accountable not only to themselves but also to the community that follows them. This public commitment can inspire the founder to maintain momentum, consistently update their progress, and thus establish a drive that is both self-motivated and community-driven.
Gain support and feedback
BIP enables founders to interact directly with potential users, customers, other founders, and industry experts. This interaction facilitates timely feedback, assisting founders in adjusting product direction, refining strategies, and addressing issues at an early stage.
Gain support and feedback
By transparently sharing the entrepreneurial journey, founders can establish trust with their audience. This trust can translate into a loyal user base, word-of-mouth referrals, and stronger brand loyalty.
Attract talent and investors
BIP can enhance the visibility of a startup, attracting potential team members, partners, and investors. A culture of transparency and active community engagement can serve as a magnet for top talent and capital.
Personal branding
By sharing their "journey" and knowledge, founders can establish themselves as experts in their field. This construction of personal branding not only increases their influence but also opens up a wider range of professional opportunities for them.
Learning and growth
Members within the BIP community can learn from one another, sharing lessons learned and successful strategies. This collective wisdom can help each member to grow and adapt to the ever-changing market more rapidly.
Market validation and product improvement
By openly sharing the product development process, founders can obtain market feedback, validate product concepts, and make product improvements based on user needs and suggestions.
Inspiring and motivating others
The story and progress of BIP can inspire and motivate other entrepreneurs and developers, allowing them to see the possibilities of success and draw motivation and inspiration from the experiences of others.
By implementing the BIP strategy, founders and startups can grow within a supportive environment while simultaneously building an actively engaged community that creates additional value for their products and services.
How to Implement Build in Public?
要成功实施BIP策略,您可以遵循以下步骤:
确定分享平台
根据您的目标受众和个人舒适度,选择一个或多个社交媒体平台进行分享。Twitter、LinkedIn、Instagram、TikTok、博客、YouTube、知乎、微博或者微信公众号等都是不错的选择。
设定分享频率
决定您的更新频率。保持一致性很重要,无论是每周、每两周还是每月更新,都要让受众知道何时可以期待新内容。
规划内容类型
确定您想要分享的内容类型,比如产品开发进度、团队建设、市场策略、客户反馈、财务数据等。
建立透明度标准
决定您愿意分享多少信息。虽然透明度是BIP的核心,但也要保护敏感信息和隐私。
制定内容计划
制定一个内容发布计划,确保您的分享有组织、有目标,并且与您的整体业务战略一致。
创建高质量的内容
确保您分享的内容有价值、有吸引力,并且能够引起受众的共鸣。内容可以是文字、图片、视频或音频格式。
互动与反馈
鼓励受众参与和反馈。回答问题、回应评论,并根据收到的反馈进行调整。
监测和分析
使用分析工具来监测您的内容表现,了解哪些类型的内容最受欢迎,以及受众的参与度。
持续学习和适应
BIP 是一个持续的过程,需要不断学习和适应。根据受众的反馈和市场变化,调整您的策略和内容。
保持真实和透明
保持真实性是BIP的关键。分享成功和挑战,让受众感受到您的真实性和透明度。
通过这些步骤,我们可以有效地实施BIP策略,同时建立起一个积极参与的社区,为我们的创业项目带来更多的关注和支持。记住,BIP不仅仅是一种营销策略,它是一种文化和价值观的体现,可以在整个创业过程中为我们带来长远的好处。
现在,中国也有不少独立开发者在推特上以 Build In Public 的方式开发产品和服务,有不少人都获得了成功。老张 的BIP项目也要启动了,结合自己的优势我打算先做一个高性价比的 Web hosting 项目,主要面向海外市场,我会把所有的内容都分享到这个网站,下一篇文章我会写一写 “为什么我要做Web hosting服务,以及我的大概思路” 欢迎围观。