Introverted Founders Aren’t TOTALLY DOOMED (But They Do Need a Strategy)

The Tension Between Brand Visibility and the Comfort of Anonymity

Late last week, I was on an early morning call with a founder friend about his next venture—a super dope e-commerce platform in the bev/spirits space he’s launching in Tokyo soon.

(I’d tell you more about it, but platforming men is not really a part of the Slutty Founder brand ethos).

I suggested he lean into building in public—he has such taste and a unique perspective on what he’s creating, one the public rarely gets to see.

He agreed that he needed to bite the bullet on that, but admitted that even with his last venture under his belt (a men’s skincare line he shuttered around the same time I shut down my own beauty brand), he still can’t get behind the expectation to tap dance on the internet for visibility.

For early-stage, underfunded founders, visibility—mostly your own—feels like a non-negotiable tax on success. And if you’re someone who shudders at the thought of posting your business online, it can feel like the entire game is stacked against you.

This 7am catch up sparked some thoughts in me around how debilitating the comfort of anonymity can be for your success.

Between you and me, I find the I-can’t-do-the-internet visibility founders to be a real pain in the ass sometimes. I say this as an introvert (I think). These brilliant minds can be some of the most resistant to doing whatever it takes to push their brands forward.

As someone who has grown to love both observing and being observed, visibility has come to feel like a natural part of the job for me. But in conversation with my friend I realized I seldom consider the perspective of the visionaries who despise it—the ones who dream of building a brand free from the commodification of self.

Upon reflecting on my own relationship with being seen online, it got me thinking:

If you hate visibility, what’s the alternative?