Keeping it private here means private from external companies that should not have access to that data, not employees. This includes competitors, M&A targets,

Keeping it private here means private from external companies that should not have access to that data, not employees. This includes competitors, M&A targets, and investors who have not yet invested and should not have access to the books. I do however strongly believe in tempering expectations, it's wrong to try to retain people by thinking they have more than they do.