LinkedIn it's a strange place. Next to business updates from the world's biggest companies, you'll find posts like “Today, I proposed to my fiancé. Here's what it taught me about B2B sales.” Insights from industry conferences are pitted against general AI-generated thought leadership, augmented by engagement groups. And don't get me started on the endless barrage of cold irrelevant fields.

However, if you are an entrepreneur, LinkedIn is the place to be. Its unique business-oriented nature sets it apart from other social media platforms, providing an unparalleled opportunity to communicate with your customers, business partners and potential team members.

What is not so unique, however, is the curation that is proving intrinsic to all social media. On LinkedIn, as on Instagram, people and companies mostly share the best side of themselves – finding a job, closing a funding round, announcing a new partnership, listing the tips that made them successful, etc. Posts detailing the less glamorous aspects of entrepreneurship are few and far between, presenting an incomplete picture of the reality of running a business.

I decided to take a different path, that is, a path of brutal transparency.

Here's why I'm sharing my startup's business data on LinkedIn, what data specifically, and how my startup has benefited – and your company can too.

Connected: Top financial metrics every founder should know

Why share: Standing out with authenticity

Few startups share their real story, as the very nature of the startup ecosystem encourages overselling to get investors' attention. Those competing to make investments may feel like they can't afford to take them public CHALLENGE for fear of lowering their rating.

As a result, tRANSPARENCY it becomes a way not only to stand out, but also to build confidence in the fundamentals of the business. This is where any profitable business – whether a startup or a traditional company – has a strong advantage over a cash-strapped startup, as it has the numbers to demonstrate that its business model works.

Furthermore, for some businesses, e.g. my startup, Supliful, transparency is a way to drive direct loyalty with our customers. Our CPG platform enables other entrepreneurs to launch their businesses. Therefore, they have a vested interest in our current situation, as their income streams depend on it. Seeing our entrepreneurial journey through hard data makes our business more connected to the very people who use it and provides refreshing and interesting insights to our wider community of followers and supporters. Everyone likes to see how others succeed in the face of adversity.

But it's not all disasters. In fact, disaster is the exception. We are growing fast and the vast majority of updates show the continued progress our company is making. This has been invaluable in attracting the attention of investors, either to demonstrate our potential to future partners or to show how far we have come to those who have gone before.

What to share: No sugar coating

In addition to regular content, I post business updates, such as moving to a new facility or attending a conference, or personal insights, such as what it's like to run a startup as a father of three. I also share a monthly update consisting of three main elements: key metrics, last month's highlights, and next month's plans.

The metrics include unmodified, industry-relevant data about our business performance, including gross merchandise value (GMV) execution rate, net revenue realization rate, number of Shopify stores connected to our platform , number of items sold and MoM growth performance. These are compared directly to the previous month, revealing any changes in performance – positive or negative.

Highlights of the previous month include specific achievements and milestones reached, such as overall business gains, eg, team growth, or, for example, paying off a loan or solving a particular challenge. Plans for next month's section reveal our current priorities and the obstacles we are currently trying to overcome.

Together, it serves as a quick yet detailed overview of the current state of the company that includes important information for investors, interesting insights for followers and transparent communication with our customers. For us, the latter is one of the most important aspects.

I'm often asked if I'm concerned that the information I share could be used against the company, for example, by an investor pointing to lean months to lower an investment offer. The simple answer is no. My team and I are not worried because our main point of focus is to ensure that the entrepreneurs who build on Supliful become successful – when they win, we win. Prioritizing our customers' experience over self-aggrandizement has so far proven to be a winning strategy.

Connected: Why investing in reputation management is crucial to your business strategy

A big windfall

We've already touched on some of the benefits earlier, eg, attracting investor attention, building stronger relationships with our customers, and gaining organic supporters by being a breath of fresh air on a platform centered around bragging. Of course, this translates into new partners and more business.

For the company, however, one of the biggest and most surprising benefits has been the acquisition of talent.

The business we are building is very challenging, as everything has to run like clockwork, from distribution to customer support. Any inefficiency wastes time and cuts customer satisfaction. That's why a huge amount of effort goes into ensuring a world-class, bulletproof operation, and that requires a high caliber of talent – ​​something every startup struggles with.

Not Complete. When a position opens up, we're inundated with applications from experienced talent as well as referrals from well-connected industry insiders.

Unlike other startups, where you usually don't know what you're getting into, my company's transparency highlights its current challenges, performance and priorities in a way that has proven to resonate with experienced hands and experts in the field. Thanks to our LinkedIn efforts, people are invested in our story and eager to be a part of it.