The Lighthouse Playbook

• Trust scales through what you give away, not what you broadcast.
  • Roots in 1990s Free Software movement’s reputation/signaling research.
• Flip the marketing instinct: build other people’s signal, not yours.
• “Lighthouses” = trusted voices already aligned with your mission.
  • Head engineers, standout customers, early employees, trusted advisors.
  • Unknown before you start is fine — that’s the point.
• Networked lighthouses compound; isolated lighthouses just help.
• Five steps: worldview → identify → build their brand → create spaces → repeat.
  • Linear signals “craft matters”; Stripe signals “increase GDP of internet”.
  • Get them on podcasts/stages — amplify expertise, never product endorsements.
• “People don’t trust companies. They trust people.”
  • Product endorsements don’t build trust; visible generosity does.

David Booth (a16z Ecosystem Partner) · 2026-02-12 · Read on a16z.com