We talk a lot about the 'brand' - brand value, purpose-driven brands, brand essence, brand values, and brand character in marketing. The brand is an essential part of a company's long-term success and will be some of the most valuable intellectual property (IP) the company may ever create. But for startups, it's arguably not the immediate priority - your mission is. However, the two are often confused, especially in the early stages of building a company.