At some point in the last decade, the founder became the face. Then the influencer. Then the entire brand.
Suddenly, every pitch deck came with a soft-focus headshot, a “why I started this” origin story, and a grid of curated selfies sandwiched between packaging shots. Visibility became the new validation. And being “authentic” meant being everywhere.
But here’s the thing about main character energy: …
…it’s seductive, not always scalable.
And in the age of cult brands and cancel culture, the very same charisma that fuels your following can quietly flatten your credibility.
Because the cult of personality?
It can cannibalise the cult of brand.
We’ve reached peak founder fatigue. The audience is getting smarter. The algorithms are getting harsher. And the influencer-to-founder pipeline is wearing thin. For every Hailey Bieber, who nails the balance of face and finesse, there’s a cautionary tale of a founder who didn’t know when to log off, and took their brand down with them.
Whether it’s Emily Weiss making her elegant exit, Ben Francis fading into the backdrop, or Elon Musk tweeting his way out of billions, the signal is clear: being a visionary doesn’t mean you have to be visible. And sometimes, being the face of your brand is the fastest way to become its flaw.
We’re not here to throw shade (though, we will). We’re here to nudge every founder who’s gripping the mic to ask themselves: am I building a business — or a brand that depends on me being interesting forever?
Let’s dissect the rise (and risk) of the face-led brand. The good, the glossy, and the unhinged. Because if the brand dies when you log off?
It was never a brand to begin with.
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It starts with a good story. A visionary founder, an underdog idea, a gritty garage origin myth. The world eats it up. Investors circle. Instagram swoons. A million podcasts later, the founder is now the brand. The face, the voice, the plotline.
And then, something shifts.
A tone-deaf tweet. A try-hard TikTok. A misstep that makes media foam at the mouth.
And suddenly, your hero becomes the hazard.
Founder Lesson 1. Visibility ≠ Vision
Being the founder doesn’t automatically make you the face.
Continue reading on our Substack, Public Opinion.
