Why Most Brands Fail to Build Trust in 2025
The 3 approaches creators use to build trust and scale in 2025
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Read Time: 2 Minutes 14 Seconds
Hey - Robert here.
In today’s edition:
Why “building in public” wins in 2025
3 proven ways to do it (with examples)
How to turn trust into launches that sell
Let’s be honest.
All the best brands share one thing in common.
And it’s not their perfect grid.
Not the logo.
And not even their ad budget.
It’s the way they let people in.
They earn a cult-level community by turning their audience into participants…
Sharing the highs, the misses, and everything in between.
That transparency builds trust.
And trust compounds into attention, affinity, and sales.
This isn’t about flooding feeds with product shots or feature lists.
It’s all about documenting the journey…
So your audience feels like they’re building it with you.
Here are 3 ways to build in public + examples you can copy today.
1. Audience First, Product Second
The simplest path to a strong launch?
Build an audience that already trusts you, even before the product exists.
Even the biggest creators like MrBeast, Ryan Trahan, and Emma Chamberlain are doing this.
They lead with value, identity, and story…
Then introduce the product that their audience already wants.
To do it right:
Post consistent, valuable content for your specific person
Show your personality and the mess behind-the-scenes
Prioritize impact over polish to form a real community
Best Examples:
CatGPT launched PhysicalPhones after growing 300K followers.
Phoebe Gates launched Phiaco after reaching 500K followers.
Notice a similar pattern?
Grow trust first, then launch your product second.
And keep documenting the product story post-launch so momentum never drops.
2. Build the Audience and Product Together
If you want speed and compounding trust…
Build both in public at the same time.
Share progress daily and let people see the bricks going in.
To do it right:
Start a named build-in-public series
Share wins, roadblocks, and lessons in real time
Invite feedback and show how it shapes decisions
Successful examples:
Yoni documents building the Brainrot App
Bad Hambres is documenting the journey of starting a burrito company.
Yohnmav documents rehabbing a bowling alley.
Think of it like a small TV show.
Introduce recurring characters, familiar locations, and a thread to pull.
Viewers will come back to see what changed since the last episode.
3. Product First, Audience Second
This is the most common (and also the hardest) path.
Ship first, then publicly improve until the product is the obvious choice.
To do it right:
Validate and launch a version of your product.
Identify the few things you do better than competitors
Educate while documenting continuous improvement
Best examples:
Browniegod is building a brownie brand, sharing each iteration.
Chunkyfitcookie is openly updating recipes, packaging, and operations.
Dennis Han is sharing the build of the AI tool Calmi in public.
When people see consistent effort and visible progress…
They will invest both emotionally and financially.
And that’s how your brand grows and compounds over time.
How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential
Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.
Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
How did you like today's newsletter? |
This is how you build in public, not just for followers, but for sales and partnerships.
It’s the same playbook category leaders are using to outrun legacy brands.
Turn your content into a story people can join, not just watch.
One step at a time. More strategies next week.
Talk soon,
Robert
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