DIY design got you to MVP. Now it’s holding you back.

Written By Ryan Hinkle

When you’re just getting started, scrappy branding is part of the deal. You spun up a logo on Fiverr. Hacked together a deck. Maybe your cousin’s a designer. Whatever gets the job done, right? But here’s the catch: what got you to MVP (minimum viable product) probably isn’t what will get you through Series A.

Scrappy Worked.

Until It Didn’t.

 

At first, the priority was speed. Ship fast, test faster, worry about the polish later. But now?

  • You’re selling a real product

  • You’re talking to serious investors

  • You’re hiring people who expect a brand they can trust

The cost of looking scrappy

Your brand sets the tone before you open your mouth. If your site looks thrown together, if your deck feels like a patchwork, if your visuals scream “we’re figuring it out”—then guess what? People will treat you like you’re figuring it out. That doesn’t mean you need a luxury rebrand. But you do need:

  • A cohesive identity

  • A pitch deck you’re proud to send

  • A site that doesn’t make people second-guess your credibility

You’re not being judged for the DIY

But you are being judged for sticking with it too long. There’s a moment when good-enough branding becomes bad signaling. Investors and customers can feel it. Even if they don’t say it. So ask yourself: Does your brand reflect where you’re headed—or where you started?

 

The good news:

You can level up

without burning it down

 

You don’t necessarily need a whole new identity.

But you do need a brand that says: we’re not winging it anymore.

Ryan Hinkle
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