When I first started consulting, I had everything tied to my name. My company name was Treb Studios, my email was brandon@brandontreb.com, and my whole business was tied to me.
This was fine for a while…until I started growing. I hired contractors with the intention of replacing myself on my existing projects. This proved to be very challenging.
Clients didn’t want other developers, they wanted Brandon, because that’s what they were promised.
It wasn’t until I started using “we” language instead of “I” language that clients fully accepted my other team members. Changing the language also had a profound effect on how I perceived the company. I began looking at everything as a real company rather than just me hacking on the side.
So, if you are building a company (even if it’s just you), start using the term “we” instead of “I” from day one. It will make the transition much easier when you start growing, and it will make you feel like you are actually building something beyond yourself.
