When thinking about staffing, most technology startups hire engineers, product managers and sellers first. By contrast, marketing is usually one of the last functions they bring on board. As a result, many startup CEOs tend not to focus on their brands until these other disciplines are in place.

Emily Heyward, the co-founder of branding agency Red Antler and author of Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love From Day One, argues that’s too late.

In this interview I did with Emily, she argues that technology companies need to nail their brands even before they launch. She explains why founders shouldn’t have to choose between branding and performance marketing, how to tap into their customers’ needs when they bring their brands to life, and why exploring the customer problems their brands solve almost always leads to a discussion about the fear of death.