In an exclusive piece for MediaBrief, Aryan Anurag, Co-founder of Binge Labs, explores the growing importance of personal branding for founders in 2026. Anurag writes about why the era of faceless companies is over, how authentic storytelling is becoming the key differentiator, and why building a personal brand is no longer optional for business leaders. Read on.
If you asked me ten years ago who the founders were behind the products I use every day, I wouldn’t have had an answer. You wouldn’t have known who founded your favorite noodle brand or the company behind the t-shirt you love. Back then, that wasn’t a big deal. But today, things have changed drastically. Now, people aren’t just looking for products to use – they want authentic stories.
Let’s face it: with all the tech advancements, building products has never been easier. Information is now democratized, so things like manufacturing or designing are no longer a competitive edge. So, what sets a company apart from its competitors? What’s the unique selling point? One answer is personal branding.
Today, we live in an era of what I call a “trust crisis.” There’s so much information out there that people don’t know what to believe. What they trust is authentic storytelling. People trust individuals who share what’s really going on behind the scenes. They want to know the purpose behind what’s being built. This is where personal branding comes into play.
A company’s founder is the most important person in the company. Yes, teams are essential too, but let’s be honest – the person who sticks around in the hardest times is the founder, not the brand. If the founder steps up and shares their story, that’s the best thing they can do for their business. Why? Because now, people are connecting with the brand’s purpose. And when people connect with a brand’s purpose, they become loyal customers, not just consumers.
Let’s talk about some examples of how this works in real life.
We worked with the founder of IPLIX Media, Neel Gogia. IPLIX Media is one of India’s leading creator management agencies. When Neel came to us, he said, “I want to do something that nobody has done.” We agreed, and after some research, we realized that no one was creating content around how creators could monetize themselves better or make their creator journey more rewarding. That’s exactly the kind of content we started creating.
Within a year, we grew his account from 10,000 to 120,000 followers – organically, with millions of views. The responses he received were incredible. Not only did his existing creators connect with him more, but new creators were also eager to join his agency just because of the content he was putting out.
This is a perfect example of how a founder’s personal brand can drive trust and business growth. When people see a founder who understands their challenges and is willing to help them, they naturally start trusting the company and want to be a part of it.
Another example comes from Mukul Rustagi, the founder of Classplus. Mukul created a series of reels talking about bad corporate culture and why Classplus was focused on building a good one. As a result, he received a flood of resumes from people who were not just interested in any job but specifically wanted to work at Classplus. Why? Because they saw the values Mukul was promoting.
When a founder communicates their values and stands up for what they believe in, it resonates with others who share similar principles. In this case, the personal brand Mukul built made it easier than ever for ClassPlus to attract top talent.
Another example is Soumya Agarwal, the COO of Rishihood University. Rishihood University thrives on a specific philosophy of life, and when we started creating content with her, we pushed out that philosophy. It was well-received by peers, and now Soumya has her own voice to convey what they believe in. This is a crucial part of personal branding. It allows founders to have their own space, their own voice.
When you rely on traditional media, you lose control over your message. Often, what you say gets misinterpreted or molded to fit the media’s agenda. As a result, many founders shy away from media exposure. But as a founder, not being in the media isn’t ideal. That’s why you need to control the narrative. Founder branding is the best way to do that.
We strongly believe that founder branding is no longer optional. It’s an integral part of a business. It’s about telling your own story. In an era dominated by technology, AI, and automation, what will truly remain are authentic stories and real relationships with people. Personal branding is the first, most important step in building that connection with your customers.
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