Do founders benefit more from a personal brand than those without one?

Not really. Personal brand is overrated. Take Apple with its recent PH launch for example. They didn’t even make it to top 3.

I believe they can in this day and age.

Well, a lot of founders are just too busy to focus on personal branding. Even if they do, the content often comes from an in-house team or some personal brand agency, which kills the authenticity since everything is strategically planned. On the other hand, agency owners like Neil Patel, Gary Vee, Ankur Warikoo, etc., have built their entire empires with the foundation of personal branding. So, the benefit is very subjective, depending on the industry and the individuals involved.

I think it matters more if you're like a consulting one-man shop or you're writing a book. I don't think it matters as much in tech.

Yes. I think it could make it easier to attract investors and customers

I think so. 1/ People want to connect with a person more than a 'company' so you'll get more organic reach and engagement on any social posting 2/ Personal brands can be used properly to 'build in public' and get feedback or support as you go along. An interview I did (https://indiemarketingplays.com/...) on this really opened my eyes. It's more than just posting updates, it's about involving people in the process

I think there is definitely value in having an established personal brand. It helps with establishing trust and building familiarity. One of the homies told me, even if they are not a direct customer, if your people support you and get excited by you, then they will champion what you do.

Founders with a personal brand do have some advantages as it can help build trust, attract attention, and make networking easier. But it’s not everything.

Personal brand matters to some degree but isn't everything. Founders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have benefited from their personal brands attracting attention to their companies. But ultimately the product needs to deliver real value, brand or no brand. Plenty of lesser known founders have built huge successes. Focus on solving a real problem for customers in a unique way - that's more important than personal hype in the long run IMO.