Value First: When Anonymity Helps and When It Fails

This topic of anonymity is one I’m not particularly good with, mainly because of my own experience. I’ve never really bothered myself too much about the face behind whoever I’m interacting with online. As long as the person does their part by delivering their value, communicates to me clearly, and handles their side of things well, most of the time, I do not see the need to dig deeper into who they really are.

That said, I do think anonymity sounds cool, for those who want it. There’s something interesting about being mysterious while still putting useful things out into the world. It's nice to think that you get to focus on the work you're good at, the ideas that comes from your quiet space, or the output without having to put your face in front.

And if we'll all agree, people who genuinely care about value, the value that only bring to them, they won’t mind whether you’re anonymous or not. If what you’re offering helps them, they’ll appreciate it regardless. So I see a lot of reasons for anyone to be anonymous but it definitely has to mean they give value to the world, face hidden.

However, anonymity isn’t automatically powerful. To me, being anonymous without giving much value is pointless, it doesn’t make any sense to me lol. And even when you do give value, anonymity can still come with limitations and one of the biggest is trust. If you’re doing meaningful work and staying hidden, there’s only so much trust you can build compared to when people can fully place a face or identity to what you give.

I remember coming across a social media page where the guy always wore a face mask while dancing. He promised to reveal his face once he hits one million followers. I found that strategy interesting because he was growing really fast, mostly because people were curious. Everyone wanted to know who was behind the mask and it wasn't because his dance steps weren’t anything extremely special, but he used anonymity to his advantage and it worked for him, it was a tool.

So if you ask me whether it’s still possible to be anonymous in this day and age, my answer is a solid yes. Especially now, with AI and advanced technology, there are tech gurus and professionals who don’t even need to show their faces to be trusted with serious jobs. Skills, results, and consistency can speak louder than identity, at least for a while.

But how long can that anonymity last? That’s where my doubts come in. I can’t confidently say it will hold forever. At some point, even if not to the whole world, people usually have to show their face to someone. Maybe not publicly, but at least to a few individuals they need to build deeper trust with especially for important contracts or long-term collaborations.

So yes, being anonymous is still very possible today but I think it comes with limitations too, just like it has always been. It can open doors, create curiosity, and even accelerate growth. At the same time, it has a ceiling and eventually, trust asks for more than just value, it asks for real presence.