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 Important
What 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 Transparency
The Pros & Cons of Organizational Transparency
Martha Lane Fox: Transparency is Overused and It's Not an Outcome
McKinsey - Leading Off Newsletter July 2022
Everlane: Radical Transparency in Fashion
The Everlane Effect
Transparency Mechanisms in Ethical Consumerism
Brutal Honesty in Sustainable Marketing
Buffer: Where Transparency Reigns
Buffer's Transparent Approach to Salaries
Embracing Pay Transparency
Why These Companies Share Employee Salaries
What 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.
