Building a Brand People Will Care About | Karri Saarinen, Linear CEO

ew" episode from Y Combinator, Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen sat down with YC General Partner Aaron Epstein to dissect the nuances of brand building for startups, particularly within the burgeoning AI landscape. Their insightful conversation, peppered with practical advice and real-world examples from YC community websites, underscored the critical balance between authenticity, clarity, and strategic evolution.

Saarinen's primary directive for nascent companies is to embrace authenticity. He cautioned against the modern temptation to mimic the polished facades of established giants like Stripe or Linear itself. "It's something that it should be authentic to your company," he asserted, explaining that a premature, overly sophisticated website can set "the wrong expectation for the user." Early efforts should prioritize product development, reflecting the company's current stage rather than projecting an unearned maturity. Linear's own first website, famously built in "basically one day," exemplified this principle, focusing on core functionality over elaborate design.

A pivotal insight revolved around the power of specific messaging. Linear's initial landing page headline, "The issue tracking tool you'll enjoy using," was a deliberate choice. Saarinen explained, "We wanted to use this issue tracking term because... engineers will understand." This directness served to immediately resonate with their target audience, unlike generic phrases such as "work platform" that offer little immediate value or clarity. Epstein echoed this, highlighting the distinction between an ambitious "investor pitch" and a highly focused "customer pitch" designed to attract users who understand and need the product's specific function.

This approach extends to visual elements. While a distinctive aesthetic can capture attention, it must not overshadow the core message. Sprites AI, a custom AI workflow builder, featured striking, painterly graphics. However, the visuals, while unique, inadvertently obscured the product's precise utility. "It's not exactly clear who is this for and what can I do with it," Saarinen observed, emphasizing the need for visuals to complement, not compete with, clear communication.

The discussion also touched on the dynamic nature of branding. Linear's website, for instance, has evolved significantly since its 2019 inception. As the product matured and its capabilities expanded beyond mere issue tracking to encompass planning and building, the website's messaging adapted accordingly. Yet, even with increased functionality, the commitment to clarity persists, using language familiar to technical teams like "Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps." For enterprise-focused companies like GigaML, direct sales and targeted outreach often supersede website conversion rates, as large deals require direct engagement rather than passive clicks. Conversely, consumer-facing brands like UnReal Milk leveraged a playful, opinionated aesthetic to stand out, even if the initial "what it is" wasn't immediately apparent. The key is to understand your audience and design the user journey to guide them from initial curiosity to deeper engagement.

Ultimately, Saarinen stressed that a company's website and brand are living entities, constantly evolving with the product and its customer base. The initial focus should be on clearly communicating the product's core value to its earliest adopters. As the company grows, the brand can expand to address new audiences and showcase a broader narrative, but always with intentionality and a clear understanding of what differentiates it from the competition.