Are founders too obsessed with branding before they have a product?

I’ve seen founders spend weeks (sometimes months) polishing logos, color palettes, and taglines before they’ve written a single line of code or spoken to a customer.

On the other hand, I’ve also seen startups whose brand presence got them credibility, early press, and investor meetings even before launch.

Personally, I like good optics. The visual promise, even before interacting with the product, says a lot. You can tell in my case from our website. A well-chosen color scheme can signal personality. A clear tone of voice can show they understand their audience. These things can build trust before anyone ever clicks “Sign up.” But things shouldn't just look good. They should be Good.

So where’s the line?

Is obsessing over branding early on just procrastination disguised as productivity? Or is it a strategic move to position yourself in a crowded market from day one?

If you’re building now, how much time are you putting into branding versus the product itself? And if you’ve launched, would you do it differently?