In today’s business landscape, growing a strong personal brand and reputation is more important than ever – even more
important than it used to be. A dramatic example comes from Silicon Valley: former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati recently raised a
staggering $2 billion for her six-month-old startup Thinking Machines Lab, at a valuation of $10 billion.
Here’s the kicker: the company has no publicly known product or roadmap – essentially just a website and a vision. Investors poured in money purely on the strength of Murati’s name and track record. It’s one of the largest seed funding rounds in history, achieved not through traction or revenue, but through personal reputation.
This story illustrates a broader shift in the business world: people invest in people, and a founder’s personal brand can overshadow even the product itself.
Mira Murati’s fundraising feat is a case study in the power of personal reputation. Thinking Machines Lab stayed in stealth mode with unclear work to the public, yet it leveraged Murati’s credibility and star-studded team to attract massive investment. As one investor observed, the startup had “no public product or roadmap. Just conviction” behind Murati’s vision. In other words, Murati herself was the signal that drew support – her pedigree as the ex-CTO of OpenAI and leader of products like ChatGPT and DALL·E gave investors confidence that whatever she builds will be groundbreaking. In place of a pitch deck or user metrics, she offered a proven name and bold ambition, and that was enough to win backing.
Why would investors bet billions on a person rather than a product? Because in 2025, attention and trust are priceless. Murati commands attention: she’s brought on top AI talent (including OpenAI co-founder John Schulman and other notable researchers) and controls her startup’s board and narrative. And most importantly, she controls industry attention – the buzz around her is enormous. In an age of information overload, grabbing and holding attention is a superpower. When a leader like Murati has the spotlight, resources and opportunities follow. Her case might be extreme, but it sends a clear message: a founder with gravity can be the product in today’s market.
You might be thinking, "Sure, a tech celebrity can raise billions on reputation, but I run a small/medium enterprise in Perth – how does this relate to me?" The truth is that the principle applies just as strongly in B2B business here in Western Australia as it does in Silicon Valley. Whether you’re seeking new clients, partnerships, or even modest investment, your personal brand as a CEO or founder can be your biggest differentiator. In fact, in a tight-knit business community like Perth, your reputation travels quickly by word-of-mouth. A positive personal brand can open doors that no amount of cold-calling or advertising might crack, while a poor reputation can quietly close off opportunities.
Modern buyers, partners, and even employees are far more likely to trust a business with a visible, reputable leader. There’s a saying: people buy from people. In B2B especially, decisions aren’t made just by comparing product specs on paper – they’re influenced by relationships and credibility.
A powerful personal brand isn’t about ego. It’s about confidence backed by execution.
People want to follow leaders who:
That’s what builds real trust. Not followers. Not noise. Just credibility earned through time and results.
Here are five practical ways to grow your brand as a Perth-based SME leader:
Your reputation might just be your biggest asset.
If you’re the founder of a small business in WA, your personal brand is no longer optional. It’s not about being famous. It’s about being known and trusted.
Attention is a currency now. Trust is leverage. And in this climate, the most powerful signal you can send is:
"I’ve done this before. And I’ll do it again."
Invest in that version of yourself. Because if you don’t control your own narrative, someone else will.
Oliver Wood - PWD.com.au
