Us or them

Continuing with my thoughts on building a company, I want to discuss a pattern I’ve noticed among companies and influencers, and how we are shaping Tuist to do things differently.

Social networks have made us more individualistic. Much of the content shared online revolves around “me”: the lessons I’ve learned, the products I’ve built, the places I’ve traveled to… It’s as if these platforms have hit the narcissism button, and we’ve forgotten the value of collaboration. Interestingly, research shows that collaboration leads to better outcomes. However, when the primary goal is to feed an algorithm designed to capture attention, collaboration might feel like a wasted effort.

Unfortunately, this pattern is also apparent in how many tech companies operate today. Months are spent working behind closed doors on what could be the next big success, only to emerge and hope for “product-market fit” to materialize. It’s like throwing a dart and hoping it sticks. They buy expensive domains, design flashy websites, hire influencers to promote their product, and hope that self-promotion will eventually lead to success. Even small wins are often packaged into narratives to attract more capital—much like how chickens are overfed to grow rapidly. The result is either building a big business or failing fast.

What surprises me is how secondary the actual problem—and the people experiencing it—has become in this equation. Many companies are busy building “serverless X” without truly addressing what it means or whom it serves. It’s reminiscent of the clickbait culture on YouTube, where influencers use catchy thumbnails and titles to reel you in. Companies employ similar tactics: “Pay for what you use.” Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Yet, you might end up paying more without even realizing it. This lack of ethics is becoming normalized—anything goes as long as it stays within legal boundaries.

Building a different kind of company requires only a small yet significant shift: focusing on people instead of the company itself. But this isn’t an easy shift. It demands overcoming ego and suppressing narcissistic impulses. It requires listening, becoming a platform for others, and enabling their success. It’s costly because it introduces a social component to the business, which might feel unfamiliar to more logical thinkers. Yet, the value it brings far outweighs the costs.

When I think of one of Tuist’s key strengths, it’s our strong focus on people. These values stem from our open-source roots and permeate how we shape the business. Every decision we make prioritizes what the community wants, rather than what we want to sell. For example, in 2025, we’re launching a newsletter, Swift Stories, to curate ideas from the community that might otherwise go unnoticed. We open-source components like XcodeGraph and XcodeProj to empower the community and foster innovation, rather than keeping them private as competitive advantages. Another example is our localization efforts—seemingly small initiatives that make our project more inclusive and accessible, but carry significant meaning.

When you focus on people, remarkable things happen—things that aren’t often talked about.

1. You don’t have to search for “product-market fit.” By creating a safe space, people naturally share what they need and what they’d pay for.
2. Customers gravitate toward you because they’re inspired by your values and prefer supporting you over competitors.

Every customer we’ve gained so far has come from our community. Some have even told us they’d prefer a CI service from us over others simply because of our approach. This shift in focus has a profound impact. For example, our most recent blog post from Trendyol happened without us prompting them. When things occur organically, they carry a unique energy that money can’t replicate.

If you’re building a company, I encourage you to put people first. It’s challenging and may feel like swimming against the current, but believe me—people value connection and collaboration. They’ll appreciate your authenticity and the unique way you do things.