We're building something imperfect. There are bugs. The UX isn't perfect. Your network is probably empty right now. But we're building this for the long term, not as a quick fix.
Let me explain why.
The problem we're trying to solve
Finding a good local business is broken. Not a bit broken - properly broken.
You need a plumber. You Google it. The top three results? Paid ads. The business with the biggest marketing budget wins, not the best plumber.
So you check reviews. Five stars on Google. But are they real? The CMA says fake reviews are a £23 billion problem in the UK. Review platforms are under investigation for failing to stop manipulation.
So you ask in a Facebook group. Jane recommends her cousin Shane. Does Shane know what he's doing? Who knows. Jane certainly doesn't.
What you actually want is simple: a recommendation from someone you trust. That's it. That's the gold standard. Always has been.
The problem? Those recommendations are invisible. They happen in private conversations and disappear. Your mate used a great electrician six months ago. You need one today. They don't think to mention it. You don't think to ask them specifically. The connection never happens.
Meanwhile, you Google 'emergency electrician near me' and hire whoever paid for the top ad. Not because they're better. Because they were there.
What we're building
MyTrustList makes word of mouth recommendations visible and searchable.
That's it. That's the whole thing.
When you add people you know to your network and trust businesses you've used, anyone in that network can find those businesses when they need them. Search for a plumber, see who your network trusts. Not ads. Not strangers. Real recommendations from real people.
Let's be honest: we're early. Really early.
There are bugs. The UI isn't perfect. Features are missing. Your network is probably empty. The business you need might not be listed yet.
Is MyTrustList useful right now, today, if you need a plumber at 2am? Probably not.
Will it be useful in six months? A year? Five years? We think so. We hope so. We're building towards that.
This isn't a quick fix. It's not a hack. It's not a growth hack or a marketing trick. We're playing the long game.
Why we're building in public
We could have waited. Built everything in private. Launched when it was perfect.
But perfect never comes. And networks only work if people use them.
So we're rolling out quickly, not perfectly. We're fixing bugs as we find them. We're adding features based on what people actually need, not what we think they need.
We're iterating. Constantly. The platform you see today will look different in three months. Different again in a year.
Every person who joins makes it better for everyone. Every business trusted helps someone in their network make a better decision. We grow together - that's not marketing speak, it's how this works.
The trust problem
Trust is everything in business. You can have the best marketing, the slickest website, the most 5-star reviews - but if people don't trust you, they won't hire you.
The current system rewards businesses with big budgets. Pay for ads, buy fake reviews, game the algorithm. It's expensive, it's exhausting, and it's fundamentally dishonest.
Good local businesses - the ones doing great work, treating customers right, building genuine reputations - shouldn't have to compete on the same terms as businesses buying their way to the top.
We want to level the playing field. Not by tearing down other marketing channels, but by adding a layer where trust can't be bought.
On MyTrustList, you can't pay to appear at the top. You can't buy fake endorsements from bots. A business with three endorsements from people in your network will always rank higher for you than one with 300 from strangers.
That's not a bug. That's the whole point.
Why it needs to cost something
MyTrustList is free. For most businesses, it will stay free forever.
You can claim your business profile, add your details, and start getting found by people's networks without paying a penny.
But to keep the platform useful and prevent spam, we have word count limits and feature restrictions on free profiles. If you want to add more detail, more photos, more content - there's a Pro tier at just $1/month (under £1). That's it. One pound a month.
Pro doesn't buy you better rankings. It doesn't put you at the top of search results. It just gives you more space to tell your story. A business with a free profile trusted by three people in your network will always rank higher for you than a Pro business trusted by nobody.
We're trying to keep it affordable at every level. Small businesses shouldn't have to choose between rent and marketing. We're not trying to get rich here. We're trying to build something that works.
Where we're going
We're going to keep building. Keep iterating. Keep adding features.
Some things we're working on:
Making it easier to share businesses via WhatsApp - because that's how people actually share recommendations
Better onboarding for new users - so you understand the value from day one
Charity profiles - so you can trust where your donations go
Ask your network feature - so you can request recommendations when you need them
Better ways for businesses to promote their profiles - without it feeling spammy
Some things will work. Some won't. We'll figure it out as we go.
The core idea isn't changing: word of mouth is the most trusted form of recommendation. We're just making it visible.
Why we need your help
This only works if people use it.
Not millions of people. Not even thousands, at first. Just enough people trusting businesses they've used, connecting with people they know, searching when they need something.
If you've read this far, you get it. You understand why this matters. You see the problem we're trying to solve.
So here's what would help:
If you're a business owner or marketer: Claim your profile. Add your details. Make it easy for your customers to find and trust you. It's free for most businesses, and takes 5 minutes.
If you're an individual: Click the Trust button for businesses you've used and would genuinely recommend. Add friends and family to your network. When they trust businesses, you'll see them. When you need something, you'll know where to start.
Be patient with us. There are bugs. Features are missing. Things will break. We're fixing them as fast as we can. But this is a marathon, not a sprint.
We're building MyTrustList for the next 10 years. Maybe 20. We're not trying to get acquired. We're not trying to flip this for a quick exit. We're trying to build something that lasts.
Word of mouth isn't going anywhere. It's been the most trusted form of recommendation for thousands of years. We're just making it work for the internet age.
The reality check
Will MyTrustList succeed? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.
Maybe we're too early. Maybe people won't change their habits. Maybe Google and review sites are too entrenched.
But I know this: the current system is broken. Good businesses are losing out to businesses with bigger budgets. Trust is being gamed. People are making decisions based on anonymous reviews from strangers they'll never meet.
And I know this: word of mouth works. It's always worked. We just need to make it work at scale.
So we're building. Iterating. Fixing bugs. Adding features. Listening to feedback. Playing the long game.
If you want to be part of this, join us. Create a profile. Add a business. Connect with someone you trust.
If not, that's okay too. We'll still be here in a year. Five years. Ten years. Building something that lasts.
Word of mouth, made visible.
Martin
Co-Founder, MyTrustList
Join us: mytrustlist.com