Personal Branding for Founders: Cringe or Critical?

Looking at how I run my business, social media, podcasts, etc., you can probably guess where I come out on this question. Fair, but keep reading; I want to make this make sense for all of you…

I know that people roll their eyes when they hear "personal branding for founders." They think it’s cringe and a waste of time. I understand that it’s easy to dismiss when you’re hustling to get your product right or focusing on scaling your company. But I truly believe that personal branding isn’t fluff. It’s one of the most critical tools a founder controls in a world where so much distribution is heavily controlled by algorithms and platforms. So, trust me when I say that spending time on this is going to pay off in ways that can extend beyond fundraising.

A lot of founders make the mistake of thinking personal branding is just a fundraising gimmick. But that’s wrong. A core principle I work with is that anything done solely for fundraising rarely works well.

Think about it this way: personal branding isn’t about trying to get an investor to write a check. It’s about creating access to customers, partners, and top-tier talent. And companies that are working successfully to get access to the best customers, partners, and talent… are the types of companies that investors LOVE investing in.

Under the hood of a Personal Brand (Understanding and Trust)

So, branding helps… but how?

So much of this is building understanding and trust. Personal branding gives you a content base that helps explain, at a deeper level, what you’re all about to anyone considering working with or for you. 

With a deeper level of understanding, people can begin to trust you. People want to know that you’re someone who’s genuine, who understands your business, and who has a vision they can get behind. If you can communicate that effectively through content and your personal brand, you’ll attract the right people to your company,  whether that’s employees, customers, or potential investors. It's about creating surface area that tells your story and resonates with your audience.

The Power of Control - Pulling back from Zuck and Elon

Personal branding creates distribution that you fully control. Think about it: when you build your own personal brand, you own your message. You decide what gets said, how it gets said, and when it gets said. Those messages can be shared to multiple places, including places that aren’t controlled by Zuck, Elon, etc… That kind of control is huge. And remember, investors hate platform risk of all types i.e. leaving your fate to the whims of algorithms and company politics. They want founders who control their destiny and who aren’t reliant on third parties to get the word out to build an audience, tell their story, and scale their impact.

Actually Building: how do you do that?

So, how do you actually build your personal brand? First, speak about what matters to you and your business. I really don’t think you have to overthink this.  

If the content is meaningful to you, it will be meaningful to share. This is critical. Don’t just talk about whatever’s trending - that’ll come off insincere. Share your authentic voice and what you believe in. This is about creating a message that’s genuine and true to you so that outsiders get a window into how your mind and company work. Authenticity is how real windows to people’s souls get opened 💓.

Starting by shouting into the void (that’s ok)

One of the hardest parts about starting to build your personal brand is the discomfort of shouting into the void. Some people are embarrassed that their social media accounts will have zero followers, their blog posts will get negligible views, and podcast listens might be in the low single digits for a while.

Don’t get distracted by the metrics in the beginning. Forget about views, likes, and followers. Reach isn’t your goal right now. Your goal is creating great, representative content that resonates with the right people. What matters is that the content accurately reflects you and your mission. Your brand is not a top-of-funnel tool in the beginning. It should be a tool to accurately communicate to anyone that stumbles across your content.

From those humble beginnings, your brand will grow. From there, focus on consistency. It will pay off so stick with it.

Where does personal branding happen?

If you’re ready to create content for zero followers to start, how and where should you begin? Remember that it’s not the same for everyone. Not everyone loves writing blog posts or articles; some of you might be better on video or audio, or vice versa!

Whether it’s a podcast, YouTube channel, or LinkedIn posts, find the platform and format that works for you. And get creative with it. Maybe you don’t want to be a writer, but you can easily start recording short videos or sharing your thoughts on social media. The key is to show up consistently, no matter the platform.

Get Support: Don’t Do It Alone

If personal brands are so powerful, why doesn’t everyone do it? Besides an overly developed aversion to cringe, it’s also because it’s a ton of work. Content creation takes time, and if you’re a busy founder, it can be hard to manage it all. So if you want to stay in this and not get discouraged, find some help. Get a virtual assistant or bring someone on your team to assist. A little support can go a long way in making sure you’re creating high-quality content consistently, without burning yourself out.

Building your personal brand isn’t just for now—it’s for the long term. The work you put in today will help you attract customers, hire the best talent, and raise money. It will serve you well throughout your entire entrepreneurial career, not just in this current company. So, start investing in it now. Trust me, it’ll pay off.

Be chased,
Jason