There are a lot of LinkedIn haters out there. And I get it. People post the classic humble brag or advice that feels ripped from the Tony Robbins playbook. But I still often scroll because I love discovering posts that dive into branding and design. 

This past week, Molly Fedick, founder of the non-alcoholic brand Buzzkill Wines, offered a reflection warning founders against spending too much money early on branding and packaging, especially with a “fancy agency.” The takeaway was for founders to save their funds and prove demand first.

Fedick shared that she hired a branding agency early on, before Buzzkill Wines had real market validation. The result was packaging that looked polished but didn’t reflect the brand she was actually trying to build, or resonate with the audience she eventually found. She was left with a hard lesson that even beautiful branding can still be the wrong branding when you don’t yet know who you’re for.