The Counterintuitive Power Of Open Platforms And Default Sharing

At first glance, traditional wisdom argues for tight control over information: protect intellectual property, wall off your networks, and only release information on a need-to-know basis. However, research and real-world examples tell a different story: open platforms—from the Internet itself to Android, open-source software, and even crowd-sourced innovation challenges—routinely outpace closed systems in both speed and creativity. Companies and communities that provide public access to code, standards, and data see rapid ecosystem growth, unexpected solutions, and higher user trust. Google famously assigned a team to make it easy for users to leave its services (instead of locking them in).

But default openness also requires discipline. Certain domains, like search ranking algorithms or sensitive personal data, must remain closed to prevent abuse or harm. The nuance is in setting sharing as the baseline and making exceptions deliberate, not the other way around. This shift requires recurring debate and strong communication, but the long-term effects are clear: openness yields more collaborators, reduces suspicion, and often leads to superior products and communities.

Begin by asking what non-sensitive information you or your team could share more freely—then do it and make transparency the norm, not the exception. If someone wants to close off access, have them explain their rationale publicly, making it an active, not passive, decision. Where openness undermines user trust or safety, clarify those boundaries and revisit the logic over time. As you practice openness, watch how others respond and where fresh ideas come from. Start with one document, dataset, or meeting—share it by default.