Build in public is a software product practice that openly documents an app's creation while it is being designed, coded, tested, and released. Builders share selected progress, technical decisions, experiments, setbacks, and user feedback to invite learning and participation. It is not the same as publishing proprietary code or exposing sensitive data.
Build in Public
What Does Build in Public Mean in Software?
Build in public is sharing selected updates while an app is designed, coded, tested, and released. Teams and independent developers share requirements, prototypes, releases, findings, bug fixes, trade-offs, and launch lessons to learn from users and explain product choices.
It does not mean publishing private source code, customer information, or security details. A closed-source web app can still be built in public by sharing progress and inviting feedback.
How Build in Public Works
A repeatable process keeps updates useful rather than promotional.
- Set a public goal, such as testing onboarding.
- Decide which details are safe to share.
- Publish short updates at meaningful milestones.
- Ask users or beta testers for specific feedback.
- Test suggestions against behavior, support requests, and product goals.
- Report what changed, what did not, and what comes next.
Build in Public vs. Open Source Development
These practices can overlap, but they solve different problems.
| Area | Build in public | Open source development |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Share product progress and learn from an audience. | Make source code available for use, review, and contribution. |
| What is shared | Selected updates, decisions, demos, and lessons. | Source code and licensing terms. |
| Code access | May remain private. | Available under an open-source license. |
| Confidentiality | Teams choose boundaries for each update. | Code is public, though some project details may stay private. |
Benefits of Building in Public
With clear boundaries, it can improve learning and communication.
- Early feedback can expose confusing workflows before release.
- Updates help users understand the product and changes.
- Followers can become beta testers.
- Explaining technical choices can demonstrate credibility and judgment.
- Progress posts document work for teammates and users.
- A public cadence can encourage small, testable increments.
Practical Limits and Security Risks
Transparency should never override privacy, contracts, or security.
- Never post API keys, passwords, tokens, credentials, or secrets.
- Do not reveal customer data, private analytics, or feedback without consent.
- Keep vulnerabilities private until fixed and responsibly disclosed.
- Avoid confidential contracts, partner plans, or unreleased intellectual property.
- Do not narrate active incidents while details are uncertain or systems are exposed.
- Use product, legal, and security review for sensitive updates.
A Safe Build in Public Update Framework
Use five parts: what shipped, the user problem, evidence observed, the next experiment, and what cannot be shared. For example, a web app team can announce faster account setup, explain that beta users struggled with a required profile field, report easier completion, and test clearer labels next. It can note that user data and implementation details remain private.
Building in Public With Emergent
Build and share AI apps with Emergent. Emergent is an agentic AI development platform that turns natural-language ideas into tested, deployed web and mobile applications. Learn what an AI app builder does, then use the AI app builder or AI web app builder to create a working product and share milestones with early users.
Start Building
on Emergent today
on Emergent today
Start Building
