Gain a loyal following by sharing your company's numbers.

With open startups growing in popularity, sharing your numbers is a great way to gain exposure and increase trust — especially early on. Join the movement to gain loyal customers.

Radical transparency is in demand, and since it's still relatively rare, it makes companies stand out. It can also work as social proof, while increasing trust and customer loyalty. There are even people out there who prefer working with open startups to the degree that they specifically seek them out. Of course, there is some risk involved. For example, potential customers may be hesitant to sign up if your revenue is low, and copycats may show up if your revenue is high. But many founders swear by it, especially in the beginning. Take Mattias Geniar, who opened up Oh Dear ($8,000/mo). He attributes up to 3% of his current signups to this transparency. Create a dedicated /open page sharing your revenue, users, traffic, and so on in numbers and charts. Add yourself to open startup lists. And if you haven't already done so, put your product on the IH product page. Then tell your story as it unfolds (including the numbers) on social media.