Everyone says customers want transparency — open salaries, open supply chains, open decision-making. But when does sharing become oversharing? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. examines the transparency trap: how brands like Buffer and Everlane learned the hard way that revealing everything can erode trust, fuel criticism, and even cost millions. We also explore the surprising power of strategic mystery — and why the companies winning today aren’t hiding the truth, they’re choosing what not to say.Episode Links:Indeed - Why Business Transparency is ImportantWhat Consumers Really Want to Know About Your Business Things Customers Want to See on Your Local Business Website Does Transparency Benefit or Harm Your Company?ThoughtLab - The Truth About TransparencyThe Pros & Cons of Organizational TransparencyMartha Lane Fox: Transparency is Overused and It's Not an OutcomeMcKinsey - Leading Off Newsletter July 2022Everlane: Radical Transparency in FashionThe Everlane EffectTransparency Mechanisms in Ethical Consumerism Brutal Honesty in Sustainable Marketing Buffer: Where Transparency ReignsBuffer's Transparent Approach to SalariesEmbracing Pay TransparencyWhy These Companies Share Employee SalariesWhat Supply Chain Transparency Really Means
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Everyone says customers want transparency — open salaries, open supply chains, open decision-making. But when does sharing become oversharing? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. examines the transparency trap: how brands like Buffer and Everlane learned the hard way that revealing everything can erode trust, fuel criticism, and even cost millions. We also explore the surprising power of strategic mystery — and why the companies winning today aren’t hiding the truth, they’re choosing what not to say.
