Build in Public Like You're Building a City in the Desert

Welcome Builder!

I recently watched HBO's documentary THE MAN WILL BURN, and it's funny how differently it hits after you've spent years out there. Most people see the dust, the giant art, the fire, and the spectacle. I see planning meetings, volunteer shifts, infrastructure, people solving impossible problems with duct tape and optimism, and thousands of strangers choosing to believe in the same impossible idea; it was nice to see it featured so prominently in the first two episodes

That's probably why startups and Burning Man have always drawn me towards them so strongly. From the outside, both look like magic. An overnight success. A viral product. A city appearing in the middle of nowhere. But behind every wow moment are countless people quietly showing up because they believe in a vision that doesn't exist

One of the biggest lessons both worlds have taught me is that principles matter more than tactics. A feature can change. Your logo can change. Your pricing will definitely change. Even your original idea might evolve into something completely different. But your principles, how you treat people, why you're building, what you refuse to compromise on, become the compass that keeps everything else aligned and attracts community towards you

People don't follow products, they follow stories, they follow missions, they follow communities that consistently act according to their values.

That's why I love the idea of building in public

Not because every metric needs to be tweeted or every mistake livestreamed, but because letting people watch your process creates trust. They see the experiments, the failures, the weird pivots, and the tiny victories that eventually become an overnight success. They stop feeling like customers and start feeling like fellow travelers

Burning Man has a beautiful way of making that happen. You don't arrive at a finished product, you arrive at a work in progress. Every participant becomes part of building the experience. The culture isn't created by a marketing team; it's reinforced every day by people choosing to live its principles together

That's something every creator can borrow, if you want an audience, don't just publish content, publish train of thought. Share what you're learning. Explain why you made difficult decisions. Celebrate the people helping you along the way. Let others see the values behind the work, not just the polished results

Many communities are build around shared imperfections

Whether you're launching a startup, writing a blog, making art, or organizing your neighborhood, your mission is what invites people in. Your principles are what convince them to stay, the rest is just building a city in the desert, one conversation, one volunteer, one customer, one friend at a time

Good luck!