Why Every SaaS Founder Should Build in Public

As a founder who's been bootstrapping in the open for over a year, I can tell you: building in public is the scariest and most rewarding decision I've ever made. Here's why every SaaS founder should do it — even when it's embarrassing.

I posted my worst monthly revenue on social media. £0. Zero. Zilch.

The responses weren't what I expected.

The Post That Changed Everything

"Month 6 of Genie 007. Revenue: £0. Users: 127. Days without crying: 3. Still going."

I almost didn't hit post. Who wants to advertise their failure?

That post got 156 replies, 12 DMs from other founders sharing their struggles, and 3 actual customers who said my honesty convinced them to try the product.

What Building in Public Actually Means

It's not about posting your revenue screenshots (though you can). It's not about fake vulnerability for engagement.

Building in public means sharing the real story — the debugging sessions that go nowhere, the features nobody uses, the customers who cancel without explanation.

It means treating your audience as partners in the journey, not targets for your marketing.

The Stuff Nobody Tells You

1. People Root for Underdogs

When I shared that I spent 3 weeks building a feature only to discover one user actually wanted it, 47 people shared their own "feature graveyard" stories.

Humans connect with struggle. We've all been there.

2. Transparency Builds Trust Faster Than Success Stories

"We just raised $2M!" gets likes. "We just lost our biggest customer and here's what we learned" gets conversations.

Conversations convert. Likes don't.

3. Your Mistakes Become Other People's Lessons

I posted about wasting £500 on a marketing channel that brought exactly 0 customers. Got 23 replies from people who'd made the same mistake.

Your failures save other people money. That's valuable.

The Awkward Parts (Let's Be Honest)

Building in public feels weird at first. You're used to presenting a polished version of your business.

• You'll post something vulnerable and get crickets

• You'll share a win and worry people think you're bragging

• You'll second-guess everything you post

That's normal. Push through it.

What I Learned After 8 Months

The Unexpected Benefits:

1. **Free feedback** — People tell you what they actually think, not what they think you want to hear

2. **Network effects** — Other builders start following your journey and introducing you to relevant people

3. **Accountability** — Hard to give up when 200 people are watching

4. **Content ideas** — Your daily work becomes your content strategy

The Rules That Work:

• Share specifics, not generalities ("Lost £400 on Facebook ads" not "Marketing is hard")

• Include what didn't work, not just what did

• Ask for help when you need it (people love feeling useful)

• Celebrate small wins (£100 MRR matters when you started at £0)

The Business Case

Let's talk numbers. Since I started building Genie 007 in public:

• 67% of my customers mention following my journey before signing up

• Customer acquisition cost: £0 (all organic)

• 3 partnership opportunities from people who saw my posts

• 1 angel investor conversation (didn't take it, but the option existed)

Start Today

You don't need perfect metrics or inspiring wins. You need honesty and consistency.

Post about what you worked on today. Include one thing that went wrong. Ask one question.

That's it. Do it tomorrow too.

Building in public isn't a marketing strategy. It's a mindset. And it works better than any ad budget.

What's the most embarrassing part of your business right now? That might be your first post.

— Bill Kiani

I built Genie 007 — a voice AI app for any website, 140+ languages, £40 one-time.