You may have already heard my story about IGN.com only existing because of a dance music CD I bought years prior. I usually tell it to highlight the importance of luck in startup success. But it's also about authenticity.
In making my email address bpm140@ufl.edu, I subtly signaled that I was into a certain type of electronic music. I wasn't doing it intentionally, and I certainly wasn't doing it with ulterior motives -- I just loved dance music and when pressed to create a user account at the University of Florida, that's what popped out.
When I sent a random email to a publishing company at 3am back in 1995, I didn't think about what my email address signified. But it told the recipient that, "the sender of this email might be part of your tribe." So he called me up and, five short years later, IGN went public. Crazy.
Your startup competes with dozens of other companies, and some of them probably have significant following. They have brand reputation. And your brand new company won't be able to compete against that.
What you have as a founder is your unique humanity. The things you love. The things that inspire you. The way that you think and talk and act.
The more that you signal your authentic self, the more likely you find your tribe. The people who want you to succeed because you care about the same things. The people who recognize that YOUR success is THEIR success. The people who will go out of their way to help you win.
Look, I am a 51-year-old guy with spiky hair, black nail polish, a lot of skull-themed jewelry and Doc Martens. Remember when Dr. Evil told Austin Powers, "There's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster"?
It me. It. So. Me.
And I am totally okay with that.
People can tell pretty quickly there's no artificial flavor in my juice. And it builds a lot of trust. And from there, great things sometimes happen.
Stop spending time worrying about how you think you should show up and just show up. Jump in with both feet, in the realest and most honest way you know how. Be as visible as possible and let your tribe find you. And welcome you. And, ultimately, support you.
Great things will happen!