Founders as Creators: Why Showing Your Journey Builds Trust (and Sales) Faster Than Any Ad

May 12

📣 Founders aren’t hiding behind logos anymore. 📣

They’re stepping into the spotlight.They are the brand now. And it’s working.

Today’s consumers don’t just want a product they want a person to root for. Someone to trust, to connect with, to believe in.

That’s why "founder as creator" isn't just a 2025 trend it’s a blueprint for long-term brand loyalty and explosive growth.

Why the Founder’s Journey Matters (More Than Ever)

Traditional ads shout, “Buy from us!”. Founder-led storytelling invite you by saying, “Come with me.”

And psychologically? That invite wins every time. 🧠

According to Edelman's Trust Barometer and Forbes insights, people trust individuals more than institutions. Especially when the founder’s story is raw, human, and relatable, not corporate-polished.

And on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, founders showing up as themselves aren't just building audiences, they're building movements.

Because when you see:

👉 The late-night product brainstorms

👉 The awkward first prototypes

👉 The hard pivots after a flop

👉 The actual humans behind the scenes

...you turn customers into co-builders or co-creators in the brand's story.

And co-creators stick around way longer than casual buyers. Insiders buy more. Share more. Stay longer.

Founders Who Are Winning by Showing Up

Here’s how today’s savviest founders are using LinkedIn and Instagram to build trust:

✨ Melanie Perkins (Canva) – LinkedIn

Shares transparent updates about Canva’s growth, lessons from scaling, and her personal journey from rejected startup founder to $40B empire builder. Always relatable, never boastful.

✨ Ben Francis MBE (Gymshark) – Instagram + YouTube

Built Gymshark into a billion-dollar brand by documenting his journey from making gym wear in his parents’ garage to CEO. Ben posts behind-the-scenes glimpses, workout sessions, founder reflections, and scaling lessons almost weekly.

✨ Katelin Holloway (Seven Seven Six) – LinkedIn

Shares vulnerable founder and VC lessons: leadership mistakes, team-building struggles, and “what I wish I knew earlier” posts that feel like advice from a big sister in business.

✨ Tobias Lütke (Shopify) – Twitter/X and LinkedIn

Posts raw insights about product launches, tech philosophy, and even failures. Makes Shopify feel human, not just a corporate machine.

✨ Sahil Bloom (Curious Addys + venture projects) – LinkedIn + Instagram

Built a massive personal brand by sharing personal reflections, business failures, and wins-in-progress with storytelling that feels like an inside look into a founder’s diary.

✨ Morgan DeBaun (Blavity) – Instagram

Shares both the grind and the glam of building Blavity into a powerhouse for Black culture—offering everything from vulnerable leadership talks to founder fashion behind-the-scenes.

Why “Building in Public” Builds Trust

It’s basic human psychology:

💖 Vulnerability = AuthenticityWhen you show the imperfect parts, you're believable. Perfect = suspicious. Real = relatable.

👀 Transparency = LoyaltySeeing the messy middle makes audiences emotionally invested in the win.

👋 Consistency = CommunityRegular, personal updates create familiarity. Familiarity builds trust.

And when people trust you, they buy from you.

How to Start Showing Up as a Founder (Without Overthinking It)

You don’t need fancy production value. You need presence and permission to be real.

💡 Start here:

🗣 Document, Don’t Curate

Post the unfiltered whiteboard sketches. Share the 2 a.m. “Is this even gonna work?” moments. Invite people into the realness.

📝 Tell Micro-Stories

Not just the big “founder origin story.” Tell the tiny behind-the-scenes wins and struggles that build connection over time.

🌀 Be Consistent

It’s not about going viral. It’s about being visible week after week.Engage as a Human. Respond to comments. Celebrate your early adopters. Share gratitude, not just goals.