“When you start fighting against an Amazon for instance — what do you have left if you don't have a brand? All you have is this emotional connection that you managed to build with your brand.”

Brand is the only moat left when a bigger competitor enters your category

Price and features are copyable. When a well-funded competitor enters your category, every acquisition lever — ads, ASO, pricing — can be outspent. The only thing they cannot replicate overnight is the emotional relationship users have with your brand. Building that relationship before the competition shows up is the only durable competitive strategy.