Brand

The underdiscussed aspect of building outlier startups

To build a brand one has to have an opinion. Most often the most unique opinions come from by playing to one’s strengths and being authentic. Companies like Apple, SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir all have unique worldviews that derive from the founder. The more people that subscribe to that worldview over time, the more valuable the brand.

But implementing a brand identity isn’t a logo. It’s not a color scheme. Fundamentally, brand is an output of the things a company repeatedly does. It’s how they hire, the language they use in marketing, and how late it’s expected that staff stays in the office.

Brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

Cultivating a strong brand is key to building outlier startups. I wrote about this in “Hard Startups are Brands.” What’s challenging about this is that you can’t precisely control the outcome, only the process. The strongest brands we’ve worked with are authentic extensions of the founders. You can influence and nudge it one way or another with time, but dramatic changes are like trying to turn an aircraft carrier. Think about it early and often, it’ll matter sooner than you think!