Stop Calling It "Transparency"—Here's What Companies Should Actually Be

Time for a bit of venting. Today, I want to talk about companies that claim: “We are transparent.”

Bold statement. But are you really?

What Does “Transparent” Actually Mean?

Think about it literally—transparency means you can see the truth on the other side of the glass, exactly as it is. No filter. No manipulation. No adjustment of tone. No carefully crafted sentences.

Just to be clear: I am not a transparent person. That’s the ugly truth.

And if you think about it for a moment, we shouldn’t be transparent. Or maybe we can be with family, with our partners. Hopefully with our kids (though even then, I don’t overwhelm my children with everything happening in my life—those are my issues, not theirs).

I modulate my responses depending on context. That’s actually one of the first principles of being a good communicator.

My Story: The “Transparent” Company

I received an email today from a former colleague at a company that claimed to be transparent. It brought back memories—and frustrations.

I worked there for two years. During that entire time, I constantly asked for feedback. I’m a candid person, direct and honest. I’d ask: “Can you give me feedback? What do you think? How am I doing?”

Because I complained about things (that’s who I am—I have opinions, and I voice them). But I always made it clear: This is your company. Your story. Your journey. Your dream. I’m here to serve and help you.

If you’re not working to satisfy your own dream, you’re working to satisfy someone else’s. And that’s fine—I was the worker in someone else’s dream.

The Feedback I Got

First feedback: “Alex, you’re sometimes too direct.”

Interesting, because I modulated all my responses. That was the company culture. At my current company, they sometimes tell me: “Alex, you’re too polite.”

We’re all humans. We’re all biased by our cultures and contexts.

The Real Reason (That They Didn’t Say)

After changing CPOs twice and my manager once, they laid me off.

Rather than saying:

• “Alex, you work remotely and we’ve changed our policy”
• “You’re not based in the US and we want American leadership”

(Which, by the way, is an ugly truth but a reality—if you’re a fully US-based company, you probably want American leaders. I accept that.)

They said: “The roadmap you designed—we don’t think it’s right.”

Wait, What?

I created that roadmap. I wrote more than 40 PRDs in less than two years. All validated by customers. I drove a $37+ million annual run rate business with one engineering manager and two engineers.

When I pointed out that one engineer wasn’t performing (still no meaningful code after six months), they said: “Give people time, Alex. You need to be kind.”

So which is it? Do we need to be kind, or do we want to run a business? I was confused.

The Plot Twist

They fired me. I found another job (an amazing one with amazing colleagues). And you know what? I just received my first-ever performance review.

Everything they said was wrong about me? The complete opposite is what my current company says.

I’m still Alex. Spoiler: I didn’t change.

The Double Plot Twist

The previous company keeps reaching out: “Alex, do you want to be part of our pilot program?”

Twice now in six months.

If my roadmap was so bad, why are you still following it and asking me to participate?

Advice for Leaders: Stick to Facts

When you do performance reviews:

• Be objective
• Use facts, not opinions

If you’re judging someone’s work (especially something they’re passionate about), have facts to back it up.

If you say something is wrong and then keep using it anyway? You have a problem.

What Can We Be Instead of “Transparent”?

At another company I worked for, we decided to change our core values. When “transparency” came up, we said: “We’re not transparent. We don’t pretend to be. That’s fine. Let’s remove it.”

So what can companies actually be?

1. Imperfect

Acknowledge it. Own it.

2. Empathic

Especially when making hard decisions (like layoffs).

3. Candid

Direct, but always respectful.

4. Generous

When you have to let someone go, be generous. It was your decision, not theirs.

5. Human-First

Not revenue-first. Not ego-first. Human-first.

6. Active Listeners

Listen to understand, not just to reply.

7. Objective and Action-Driven

Especially when giving feedback. Facts over opinions.

Real Core Values

At my current company, our core values are the LIFE acronym:

• L - Learn
• I - Impact
• F - Fun
• E - Empathy (for fellow pandas and customers)

These are real values that I see applied every day. Not perfectly—we’re human. But consistently.

That’s what drives a company forward.