Building Trust at Scale

When Wistia was just a handful of people crammed into a small room, trust came effortlessly. We shared everything: work, ideas, successes, and even the occasional failure. That shared energy fueled us, and it’s something we still celebrate.

Eighteen years later, we’re a bigger team, but the spirit of those early days—authenticity, collaboration, and a drive to build something meaningful—remains our foundation. Yet, as we grew, I realized that maintaining that trust and closeness wouldn’t happen by accident; it would require attention and intention.

Today, trust is the invisible architecture of Wistia. It allows us to move fast, adapt to challenges, and stay true to our values. But scaling trust takes conscious effort. Here’s what we’ve learned:

Authenticity at the Core

In the beginning, everyone showed up as their full self—it was natural when working and hanging out with friends. Now, as a larger, hybrid team, we intentionally create spaces for unforced, genuine connection. Off-sites, like our recent Chicago trip to a White Sox game and city culinary tours, strengthen human-to-human bonds that carry over when we’re back in our respective cities. It’s a nod to the closeness we had in that small room and a reminder to prioritize those connections.

Scaling Up: Autonomy with Alignment

In a small team, autonomy was a given. Our shared mission was why we showed up every day, and we trusted each other to innovate and dive in. As we’ve grown, we’ve learned that autonomy works best when paired with alignment. Teams own their projects within a strategy centered on our customers’ needs. Clear goals, ownership, and regular check-ins keep us agile and connected, allowing that original spirit of innovation to thrive within a shared vision.

Embracing Failure as Fuel for Creativity

Teams that embrace failure succeed long-term. In our early days, stumbles were part of figuring things out, and they reinforced our resilience. Today, in a more established organization, we actively reinforce the permission to try and fail by:

• Emphasizing that small failures are feedback

• Celebrating lessons learned

• Prioritizing speed over perfection

• Sharing learnings across the company

This cultivates a culture that sees challenges as growth opportunities.

Transparency by Default

Growth brings complexity, and transparency keeps us connected. In the small office, it was hard not to know what was going on. Now, in a larger, hybrid setting, we maintain this openness with shared documents, public Slack channels, and regular updates. Transparency reminds us of the openness that was second nature in those early days and keeps us aligned as we grow.

Building trust isn’t just a value at Wistia—it’s the foundation that keeps us connected, resilient, and true to our mission as we scale. At its core, it’s about honoring the authenticity and trust that fueled us in those early days and carrying that spirit forward to guide us today.