Why Your Brand Should Embrace the Screw-Up (Yes, Really)

TL;DR

When GitLab and Supabase messed up, they didn’t hide it. They turned the moment into a trust-building win. This post breaks down how developer-first brands can:

• Earn credibility by being transparent, even when things break
• Connect with technical audiences through personality, not polish
• Stand out by taking a clear position in a noisy market

These are real strategies from real companies. If you’re focused on building trust, growing adoption, or scaling community, start here.

Why Most Brands Handle Crises the Wrong Way

Most companies treat a crisis like a gas leak. Shut it off, patch it up, and hope no one notices.

GitLab did the opposite.

In 2017, a routine maintenance operation went sideways. A team member accidentally deleted part of their production data. It was messy. But instead of going silent or hiding behind PR, GitLab livestreamed their incident response, opened their internal docs to the public, and narrated the chaos in real time. This wasn't just unusual. It became a defining moment that showed the tech world what transparency actually looks like.

This blog isn’t about managing failure quietly. It’s about how trust is built when things go wrong and you choose to share the reality instead of the polish.

Read through to the end for one high-impact strategy most companies avoid, but that some of the boldest developer brands have used to win serious loyalty.‍

Step 1: Turn Your Screw-Ups Into Show-and-Tells

Most companies hit stealth mode when something breaks. But developers tend to notice anyway, and when there’s silence, it creates suspicion.

GitLab broke that pattern by showing everything. Supabase took a similar approach in 2023 during a service outage. They combined frequent technical updates with humor and open communication. Their team posted consistently on X (formerly Twitter), responded directly to questions, and even joined in on the memes circulating during the incident. What could have been a hit to their credibility turned into a moment of community support.

When a company is transparent while fixing something, it shows confidence and earns trust. Developers work in high-pressure systems too. They know what it's like when things go sideways, and they respect companies that don’t hide.

This isn’t just gut instinct. According to Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer, audiences are more likely to trust organizations that communicate openly during difficult moments. Transparency, especially under pressure, creates long-term credibility.

Here’s how to do this well:

• Keep a public incident doc with regular updates.
  
• Write a clear, honest post-mortem when the issue is resolved.
  
• Use a tone that’s professional, but human. Humor can work, but clarity and humility matter more.

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a robotic corporate apology, you already know why this works. It feels real.

‍Step 2: Personality Beats Polish Every Time

Most developer brands try to sound “enterprise-ready.” In practice, that often means sounding generic, bland, and completely forgettable.

But increasingly, the companies getting attention aren’t the ones trying to be perfect. They’re the ones willing to sound human.

Linear’s documentation has a quiet wit to it. Astro’s brand voice feels like it was written by people who actually enjoy what they’re building. Raycast is clean and professional, but still conversational. These companies have one thing in common. They don’t strip away personality in an attempt to sound credible.

This works because it breaks the pattern. Developers spend all day reading technical docs, Slack messages, and specs. When a brand speaks like a real person, it stands out.

To bring this into your own brand:

• Cut the jargon. Write like you speak.
  
• Give your documentation or product updates a consistent voice.
  
• Let your team’s quirks and culture show up in your content.
  

This approach helps people feel connected to your brand. It makes them want to root for you. At Stateshift, this is exactly the kind of work we support. We help teams build ecosystems that are not only useful, but also genuinely enjoyable to be part of.‍

Step 3: Take a Stand and Make It Clear

In busy markets, the middle ground is crowded. And forgettable.

Many companies try to keep things neutral in the hopes of appealing to more people. But strong positioning is about making choices. That means being clear about what you believe and what you’re building against.

In the developer world, you can see this in how tools are launched. Rome positioned itself as simpler and faster than Webpack. Deno was introduced as a cleaner alternative to Node. TailwindCSS openly pushed back on traditional styling methods. These projects got attention because they didn’t try to be everything. They took a position.

When you make your stance clear, it becomes easier for your audience to remember you and understand what you’re about.

To apply this:

• Point out what’s broken in the status quo.
  
• Be direct about what your approach solves.
  
• Make that position part of how you talk across all your channels, not just in blog posts.
  
  

This isn’t about being provocative for no reason. It’s about helping people understand why your work exists and who it is for.‍

Wrap-Up: The Mess Is Where the Magic Happens

GitLab didn’t earn trust because everything went smoothly. They earned it because they let people in when it didn’t.

Supabase didn’t grow by hiding the mess. They grew by embracing it and sharing the story as it unfolded.

If you’re building something for developers, stop aiming for perfection. Instead, focus on being honest. Show the process. Own the mistakes. Communicate with confidence and humility.

Because trust is not built when everything is going fine. It is built when things go wrong and you choose to stay visible.

At Stateshift, we help companies do exactly that. We support teams in building ecosystems of users, developers, and early advocates by combining strategy with consistent, real-world execution.

If this sparked a new way of thinking about how you show up, share it with someone who still thinks polish is the goal. Sometimes the mess is where your most loyal community begins.

If you want a real breakdown of how GitLab turned a crisis into community trust, Jono breaks it down in the video below.