Brand vs. Business: The Strategic Sequencing Decision Most Founders Get Wrong

In partnership with

"When is the best time to think about my brand?"

A friend asked me this question last week, and it sparked an intense thought loop. While my instinct was to say "at the very beginning," the reality is far more nuanced – and far more important to get right.

Most founders focus first on product, customers, and revenue. Brand feels like a luxury for later, when there's more time and money. But is that the right approach?

The Brand-First Philosophy

The brand-first camp argues that your brand foundations (purpose, mission, values) should come before anything else. Their reasoning is compelling:

1. Brand provides the "why" that informs all other decisions

2. Brand consistency from day one builds stronger market recognition

3. Brand alignment prevents expensive pivots and restarts later

This philosophy champions an inside-out approach: start with brand identity, then let it inform business strategy, go-to-market decisions, and tactical execution.

The Business-First Reality

The business-first approach acknowledges a different truth: most companies don't have the luxury of perfect beginnings. They start with:

1. A product that solves a problem

2. Early customers who need that solution

3. A business model that (hopefully) makes money

Brand often emerges organically from these elements – sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. This outside-in approach builds brand around established business fundamentals.

The Practical Middle Ground

Having worked with companies at all stages – from pre-launch startups to established enterprises – I've found that the most successful approach lies somewhere in the middle.

The ideal sequence looks like this:

1. Brand Foundations First Begin with your purpose (why you exist), mission (what you're doing), and values (how you're doing it). These core elements should be in place from day one.

2. Business Strategy Second Use these foundations to inform strategic decisions about markets, products, and differentiation. Your business strategy should directly flow from your brand foundations.

3. Go-to-Market Third Only then develop your GTM strategy, identifying specific audiences and how you'll reach them.

4. Marketing Execution Last Finally, create your marketing strategy to build awareness and drive acquisition based on all the above.

Each step builds naturally on the previous one, creating alignment that customers can feel, even if they can't articulate why.

The Realistic Reset Points

Of course, most companies don't follow this perfect sequence. The good news is that there are natural inflection points where you can reset and realign:

• Pre-Series A: Before institutional funding, there's still flexibility to formalize brand foundations

• Market Expansion: When entering new territories or segments

• Product Evolution: When launching new offerings or categories

• Leadership Changes: When founders transition or new executives join

• Growth Plateaus: When existing strategies stop delivering results

These moments provide opportunities to revisit brand foundations and realign your business strategy accordingly.

The Implementation Framework

Ready to apply this thinking to your own company? Start here:

1. Assess Your Current State How aligned are your brand foundations, business strategy, and marketing execution? Identify gaps and inconsistencies.

2. Define (or Refine) Your Foundations Articulate your purpose, mission, and values. If they already exist, evaluate whether they truly guide decision-making.

3. Cascade Through Strategy Ensure your business strategy directly supports your brand foundations. If not, determine which needs to change.

4. Update Execution Adapt your marketing and sales approach to reflect this alignment.

The Bottom Line

The chicken-or-egg question of brand versus business has no universal answer. The ideal is to start with brand foundations, but the reality is that most companies build iteratively, with brand and business evolving together.

What matters most is recognizing when misalignment occurs and having the courage to realign, even when it means challenging established practices or beliefs.

In the words of Siobhan Hayes from Float, "Brand is what keeps your connected strategies in lockstep." Whether you started with brand or business, that lockstep alignment is ultimately what determines your success.

Until next time...