How to Build a Startup Brand Before You Even Have a Product

Inspired by a panel conversation at the Scale-Up Summit, Birmingham Tech Week

During Birmingham Tech Week 2024, I joined a panel on Startup Priorities at the Scale-Up Summit. One of the most powerful questions that came up was this:

“How can tech startups build a strong brand presence before having a fully developed product or user base?”

It’s a question that every early-stage founder should ask — because if you wait until the product is perfect, you’ll miss the momentum that a strong brand can create.

The Truth: Great Brands Start With Meaning, Not Maturity

Too often, we equate brand-building with visual design or marketing tactics. But when you're just starting out, your brand is not your product. It's your clarity, your story, and your consistency.

Here’s what I shared on the panel — and what I’ve seen work across early-stage brands I’ve supported:

How To Build a Brand

Brand Building Tip 1

Brand Building Tip 2

Brand Building Tip 3

Brand Building Tip 4

Brand Building

1. Lead With Purpose

Before you define what you do, define why you do it.

Your mission and values are more than filler for an “About” page — they’re the foundation of your brand story. When you communicate the problem you’re solving and why it matters, you give people something to believe in — even before your product is live.

🧭 Ask yourself:

• What’s broken in the world that I want to fix?

• Why does solving this problem matter to me?

• What change do I want to drive?

2. Build Community Before You Have Customers

Don’t wait for a launch to start showing up. Even without a product, you can create real value by sharing insights, experiences, and ideas relevant to your target audience.

Start conversations. Join communities. Be generous with your thinking. This builds credibility and trust — and positions you as more than just a product: you’re a voice in the space.

💡 Platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, or X (formerly Twitter) are great for early audience-building.

3. Create Anticipation, Not Perfection

Some of the most successful early-stage companies didn’t just build products — they built anticipation.

Whether it’s a waitlist, beta access, or “build-in-public” storytelling, people love feeling like insiders. Invite your early community into your journey — not just your product. That feedback loop can be more valuable than any formal research.

4. Look the Part — Even If You’re Just Starting Out

You don’t need a full-scale brand identity, but you do need the basics:

• A simple logo

• A color palette

• A consistent tone of voice

These aren’t just aesthetic — they build perceived trust. When your brand looks intentional, it feels more credible — even if your product is still evolving behind the scenes.

Final Thought: Start With What You Can Control

You might not have a finished product.You might not have traction yet.

But you do have:

✅ A story

✅ A mission

✅ A perspective

Those things — when communicated clearly and consistently — can give you a competitive edge that money can’t buy.

Because great brands don’t wait to launch. They build belief from Day One.