LinkedIn·Monday, 6 July 2026·06 Jul 2026
The attached picture is going viral right now on other social media and I think there is a business lesson here for everyone! One of the…
Mike Coeck
Co-Founder & CEW (Chief Executive Walrus) at Cybernetic Walrus
The attached picture is going viral right now on other social media and I think there is a business lesson here for everyone!
One of the fastest ways to lose trust isn't raising prices or making unpopular decisions.
It's changing the rules after people have already committed.
We've seen this pattern play out repeatedly:
• Unity announced its Runtime Fee after developers had already spent years building games on the platform.
• Wizards of the Coast attempted to replace the long-standing D&D Open Game License after publishers had built businesses around it.
• Patreon changed its fee structure in a way that fundamentally altered the economics for creators and supporters, only to reverse course after backlash.
Now FIFA is facing criticism after suspending an automatic red-card ban ahead of a major World Cup match. Whether you think the decision was right or wrong, the reaction highlights a familiar problem: people care as much about consistency and predictability as they do about the outcome.
The common thread isn't pricing, licensing, or sport.
It's trust.
Customers, developers, creators, business partners, and fans all make long-term investments based on the expectation that today's rules will still apply tomorrow. Once people believe those rules can change unexpectedly—or be applied inconsistently—they start questioning whether they can safely invest further.
The lesson for any organization is simple:
If you need to change the rules, do it transparently, communicate why, and avoid making existing commitments feel like they were made under false assumptions.
Trust takes years to build, but one unexpected policy change can put it at risk.
Disclaimer: Yes I am a Belgian!
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