In today’s hyper-competitive market, building a recognizable brand has never been more challenging....
As a CEO leading a company in the $1M–$5M revenue range, you face daily trade-offs that shape your trajectory. One of the most critical? Whether to build a brand that people deeply love but isn’t widely known — or one that’s widely recognized but not necessarily beloved at first.
This is the very question I posed to AJ Patel, CEO of TeleMed2U, on an episode of Wisdom From Wizards. His answer was direct: early-stage companies should prioritize awareness.
“I’d rather that people have this as a widely known brand and maybe not deeply loved right off the get-go. When you’re bringing a novel approach to solving a common problem, it’s very important to grow the following at a higher clip rate. Over time, the stickiness and the penetration with the consumer will take its natural form.” — AJ Patel
For scaleup CEOs, AJ’s insight is a valuable reminder: growth is fueled by visibility. At the $1M–$5M stage, your job isn’t just to create loyal advocates; it’s to get in front of more buyers, faster. Loyalty follows once customers have the chance to engage with your product and experience its value.
This doesn’t mean you ignore depth. It means sequencing your priorities: build reach first, deepen love second. The companies that win long term don’t just show up in the market — they get remembered and eventually trusted.
If you’re wrestling with brand and growth challenges, you’re not alone. Many CEOs in this stage face the same tension of where to invest: in awareness or in loyalty. AJ’s perspective offers a blueprint: in the early innings, stack the deck in favor of visibility.
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