The Browser Company and Radical Transparency

A couple days ago, I came across the following Youtube video that read “We Might Not Make It”:

The man in the thumbnail is Josh Miller, CEO of The Browser Company. The Browser Company is known for its flagship product, Arc Browser, which is best described by the review that is boldy hero’d on its website: “Arc is the Chrome replacement I’ve been waiting for.”

There is so much to love about this company. I admire The Browser Company for its no-bs name, thoughtful product design, and delightful communication with the public (just look at a release note!). Features like Tidy, Air Traffic Control, and Previews have turned me into a daily active user. And damn, it looks like a fun place to work at! The positive vibes shown by the team on Youtube remind you of the romantic hacker era of Silicon Valley, as presented in General Magic or The Friendly Orange Glow.

As an Arc user, I feel I’m a part of something bigger than myself. I’m supporting a startup of talented technologists staring directly into the mouths of Google, Microsoft, and Apple. It’s similar to how Marc Benioff positioned Salesforce in its early days:

“[Salesforce was] the rebel, fighting against the traditional software model… Our message was clear: by choosing Salesforce, they were not just buying a product, they were making a statement against the outdated, expensive, and complex systems that had dominated the industry.” - Marc Benioff, Behind the Cloud

Tons of startups are fast-moving, UX-first, and disrupting incumbents. But, I believe The Browser Company has been able to capture its momentum from one differentiable trait- its radical transparency.

I first heard of “radical transparency” from Ray Dalio: be completely truthful and open about everything, including mistakes and weaknesses, in order to create a true “idea meritocracy” where the best ideas emerge through open discussion. Dalio’s perspective, while uncommonly idyllic in finance, is still rooted in the assumption that radical transparency is an internal activity between colleagues. Nowhere does he mention displaying radical transparency to clients or users. This is where The Browser Company is unique. The Browser Company has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of radical transparency by sharing its mistakes, weaknesses, and looming questions in a public forum. From Josh’s reaction to MKBHD’s review to content about board meetings and revenue models, I’ve never seen a company be so transparent¹.

This brings me back to the very beginning of my article. Josh’s video kicks off a series titled “We Might Not Make It”- an exploration of how The Browser Company might or might not survive next year. Besides the professional production and dope-ass J Dilla beat, this video stands out by suggesting The Browser Company will double-down on its radical transparency as it enters its next era of funding, growth, and AI.

I realize I’m coming off as a fervid fanboy. Because I am! But, I’m not naive to realize radical transparency’s true motive is to improve the bottom line. Essentially, The Browser Company has open-sourced its SWOT analysis as way to garner trust and feedback from the critical, tech-savvy consumer generation it’s trying to acquire. I guess I find it nice that respecting consumers and profit-motive are aligned. Maybe capitalism is kinda working!

Beyond analyzing why The Browser Company does what it does, a more fun question is why wouldn’t a company be radically transparent to its customers? I boiled it down to four reasons:

  1. They’re Mid: companies fear opening the curtain will actually reveal a culture of obscurity and stymied innovation
  2. Competitive Advantage: companies fear sharing too much information to their competitors
  3. Risk Management: companies fear negative press will harm their reputations or bottom lines
  4. Regulation: some domains can’t be publicized due to regulations

Ultimately, companies choose not to be transparent from fear of a negative outcome. This learning makes me think that truly innovative startups should consider radical transparency as a competitive differentiator. They should not fear sharing information with competitors, as incumbents are often focused on sustaining innovations that serve their existing customer base, as taught in The Innovator’s Dilemma. Regarding risk management, the potential to build long-term trust by showing your scars outweighs the risks. Josh says it best:

“Our bet [on building in public] is that if you get to know us… and you really feel like you get to know us as people and all our imperfections… then, when you see that we’re asking for a permission, you might trust it’s because we want to make you feel a certain way that’s better.” - Josh Miller, Lenny’s Podcast w/ Josh Miller (42:43)

I’m inspired by The Browser Company and its bet on radical transparency. It’s motivated me to fit this philosophy into my work. Made a mistake? Let’s make a blog post about it. Not sure what feature to prioritize? Let’s send out a survey to customers. Excited about the grand vision? Cool, let’s tell everyone about it and make them feel a part of it! Let’s put our best ideas into the world and see what ideas it gives back.

  1. That’s not true. Gumroad is another remarkable company that publicizes its board meetings.