Start Unconventional, Grow Corporate

Jason Fried's theory on corporate evolution suggests that companies should intentionally start weird and unconventional because they will naturally become more corporate and conventional over time. This insight came up during a discussion about CB Insights' original name "Chubby Brain."

Key Points:

• Start Extra Weird Early:

  • Companies naturally become more corporate as they grow
  • The more weird and unique you start, hopefully the watered-down version is still unique

• Real World Example - CB Insights:

  • Started as "Chubby Brain"
  • Had to change name when selling to Goldman Sachs
  • Goldman couldn't cite "Chubby Brain" as a source on slides
  • Eventually became "CB Insights" - a more corporate-friendly name

• Natural Corporate Evolution:

  • Companies tend to become more conventional over time
  • Starting unconventional gives room for this natural dilution
  • End goal is to maintain some uniqueness even after corporate evolution

• Business Impact:

  • Need to balance uniqueness with credibility
  • Sometimes weird branding can hurt business relationships
  • Important to recognize when to evolve while maintaining identity

This perspective suggests that rather than fighting against corporate evolution, companies should plan for it by starting with extra personality and uniqueness, allowing for natural dilution while maintaining distinctiveness.