Using “build-in-public” practices for internal team communication
Empowering startup teams with authenticity and engagement
When leading a startup, effective internal communication is critical for navigating the rapid changes and uncertainties inherent in the early stages of business development. Adapting the principles of 'building in public' to internal communications offers a transformative approach for startups seeking to enhance team cohesion and alignment. By transparently sharing the journey's ups and downs, founders can foster a culture of openness and trust, essential for maintaining team morale and engagement in a landscape where priorities shift frequently.
Embracing this strategy involves more than just broadcasting updates; it calls for a genuine two-way dialogue that encourages feedback and contributions from all team members. Incorporating authentic storytelling and regular, transparent updates about successes, challenges, and strategic pivots helps in building a shared sense of purpose and understanding. Such a nuanced and engaging approach to communication ensures that despite the fast-paced and often unpredictable nature of startup life, team members remain connected, informed, and motivated to contribute to the company's evolving vision and goals.
how DO you ensure internal transparency in a small and growing organization?
Apply the best practices of “building in public” to your internal team comms.
Why This & Why Now
Startups only get harder. In the fast-paced and uncertain early days, a well-defined communication strategy is essential for maintaining team alignment, engagement, and morale. Transparent and consistent communication builds trust and fosters a culture of collaboration which is crucial for innovation and effective decision-making. As startups grow and face challenges, including remote work and crisis management, a robust communication strategy ensures that everyone remains informed and connected. Additionally, effective internal communication positively influences external brand perception and plays a vital role in attracting and retaining top talent.
how We Do: Create a “build-in-public-in-private” internal team comms strategy
Tools 🛠️
Choose the Right Platforms:
In public, founders select platforms that align with their target audience and the nature of the project, most commonly being X, LinkedIn, personal blogs, and industry-specific forums.
In private, there are pros and cons to putting your comms where every other workstream lives. Make sure to choose platforms where the information won’t get buried in other work, but is easily accessible to the rest of the team.
Leverage Multimedia:
In public, the use of text, images, videos, and even live streams will keep your content dynamic and accessible to different audience preferences.
The same goes for private comms. Be engaging with your team and showcase the information you share in appealing ways where possible.
Use emojis to create cohesion and consistency around topics.
A founder Loom can convey so much more than a Slack in the general channel.
Rules (Process) 📝
Start with a Clear Strategy:
When building in public, founders determine which aspects of the work will be shared and how often. Great founders and startup teams will establish clear goals for external communication when they start, such as building a community, gathering feedback, or documenting their journey for future use.
Take the same approach when building in private. Start with your why. Are you sharing internally to improve cross-collaboration? Are you hoping to spur more creative ideas? Do you want to increase efficiency through clearer communication? All are byproducts of an internal comms strategy driven by a clear goal at the onset.
Maintain Consistency:
When building in public, regular updates create a sense of progress and keep your audience engaged. The best founders determine a schedule that works for them based on their personal habits and stick to it.
The same goes with internal comms. Sharing about key goals and initiatives one month and bailing on it the next can leave teams, especially small or remote teams, in the dark. Think about expectations from investors on consistency of communication. Aim for a similar approach with your internal team.
Measure Impact:
When building in public, founders who track engagement metrics and gain feedback better understand the impact of their building-in-public efforts.
The same goes for private comms. Share feedback surveys with your team to make sure the communication you’re sharing is having an impact on the goals you’re hoping to achieve.
Protect Sensitive Information.
In public, while transparency is key, founders are mindful of the line between sharing helpful insights and exposing proprietary information or data that could compromise a competitive advantage.
You can have more openness in sharing with the team privately. Be thoughtful about what should truly be private and what can be shared, and make it clear to the team.
Iterate Based on Feedback:
In public, founders use the feedback from their audience to refine their product or strategy. Building in public offers a unique opportunity to iterate based on real-time feedback.
The same rules apply for iteration in a private setting.
Use Storytelling:
In public, narratives are powerful. Founders often share the stories behind their personal journeys and the challenges they overcome. This approach makes updates more engaging and memorable.
Where comfortable, using this approach with your team can foster empathy and understanding in a way that other forms may not.
People 🫶
Be Authentic and Transparent:
When building in public, great founders share both successes and challenges. Authenticity fosters trust and relatability.
The same goes for sharing the inner workings of your company in private. And just as you would externally, be thoughtful about sharing sensitive information.
Engage with Your Community:
When building in public, engaged founders respond to comments and messages with consistency. Building in public is not just about broadcasting your journey but also about creating a dialogue with your audience.
Do the same with your team so everyone has a seat at the table. Build a safe space for vulnerable questions, and an opportunity to leverage your team to strengthen communication and impactful information sharing.
Network and Collaborate:
Building-in-public is about using the exposure to connect with other builders, potential customers, and industry experts. This can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and new opportunities.
In private, see who is connecting the dots and how. What internal networks can you create for collaboration when you create space for dialogue?
Provide Value:
In public, the sharing of learnings, insights, and tips is designed to be valuable to your audience. This not only helps others but positions you as a thought leader in your space.
Your team is busy, so taking the time to communicate the right information to them is crucial. Revenue numbers are great, but there’s so much more to share that can showcase the human experience to provide deeper value to your team members.
Take It Up A Level
Using AI to Improve how You Do:
ChatGPT is great at first drafts - if you're a better editor than a creator, use this to your advantage. Feed in the information and context you have and let it take a pass. You can follow up with directional edits to a better place before jumping in with a final eye for tone.
Going deeper into what you know
If the idea of finding your voice seems a bit overwhelming, you might be tempted to copy the tone of someone whose work you admire. However, mimicking someone else's tone is tricky to make it sound genuine. Instead, just practice. Write several blog intros, even if they're not related to your planned topics. It becomes easier to get into the groove of writing for a specific platform as you work on honing your skills.
Actually Actionable
Nice article. Now what?
We’ve taken the ideas above and created an action plan for you and your team.
Deep Work Session 1: Building the Strategy (60 min)
Introduction to 'Build-in-Public-in-Private' Concept and Goals Setting (20 min): Introduce the concept and its relevance to your team. Discuss and define the primary objectives of the communication strategy.
Selecting Platforms and Planning Content (20 min): Choose the appropriate internal communication platforms and brainstorm ideas for embedding multimedia content.
Developing a Consistent Communication Schedule and Role Allocation (20 min): Create a schedule for regular updates and assign roles for content creation and platform management.
Deep Work Session 2: Strategy Implementation and Protocols (60 min)
Review of Communication Plan and Feedback Integration (20 min): Review the strategy developed in Session 1, incorporating any feedback received.
Establishing Protocols for Sensitive Information (20 min): Set guidelines for what information can be shared and what should remain confidential.
Launch Plan and Team Alignment (20 min): Discuss the rollout of the new communication strategy and ensure team commitment and understanding.
Before you go
Adapting 'building in public' practices for internal startup communications is a transformative strategy that fosters a culture of transparency, engagement, and empathy. This approach, which we term 'build-in-public-in-private,' enables founders and leaders to create a cohesive environment where every team member feels integral to the company's journey. By setting clear goals, maintaining consistent updates, leveraging multimedia, and embracing authentic storytelling, startups can enhance collaboration, drive innovation, and improve efficiency. Such a strategy is vital in the fast-paced startup world, where maintaining clarity amidst rapid change is challenging. Opening dialogue, valuing feedback, and sharing the human side of the startup experience builds stronger, more resilient teams, laying a foundation of trust and transparency crucial for sustained growth and success.
Writer: Britt