Branding for Startups: What You Actually Need (and What Can Wait)

Let’s get one thing out of the way:
You don’t need a full-blown brand book to launch your startup.
You need just enough branding to not look like a high-school project on Product Hunt.

But most early founders fall into two camps:
They do nothing and pray the product speaks for itself.
They do everything — custom fonts, $20K logos, emotional mission statements no one understands.
Both are wrong.

Here’s what you actually need, and what can wait.

What you do need right now

1. A basic but credible visual identity
- A logo that doesn’t scream "Fiverr"
- Two typefaces: one for headlines, one for body
- 2–3 colors max that work well together
- A favicon!

Why?
You want people to take you seriously at first glance. That’s it.
You’re not building a brand book. You’re building trust.

2. A landing page that doesn’t kill conversions
Your site is your pitch deck.
But most startup websites bury the value in vague copy and AI stock images.

Your homepage should answer, fast:

• What problem do you solve?

• Who’s it for?

• What happens if I trust you?

Pro tip:

If I need to scroll before I know what your product does, you’ve already lost.

3. One clear voice
Are you friendly? Serious? A challenger brand? Pick a tone and be consistent — on the site, in your emails, on LinkedIn.
A founder’s voice is the brand in early days. Don’t outsource it to ChatGPT just yet.