Founders are human. Which means sooner or later, you’ll get bored of your own brand. As a person with wicked ADHD and an unrelenting need to switch things up, I fully sympathize.

The logo feels tired. The colours look dated. The tagline you once swore was genius now makes you cringe.

Cue the itch: “Should we refresh? Rebrand? Scrap it all and start over?” (Go here for a checklist to help you determine if you ACTUALLY need to rebrand, or if it’s FBS)

Welcome to FBS: founder boredom syndrome (highly technical and definitely not made up by me at this very moment)—a close cousin of shiny object syndrome. And left unchecked, it leads to brand whiplash: a mishmash of logos, tones, typefaces, and aesthetics that confuse customers and erode trust.

So how do you keep things fresh for yourself without throwing your audience into chaos?

1. Remember: you see it more than anyone else

You live inside your brand 24/7. Your audience doesn’t. What feels overplayed to you might still feel crisp and consistent to them. Resist the urge to redesign just because you’re tired of looking at your own logo.

2. Flex within the framework

Consistency doesn’t mean rigidity. Your brand should have range. Introduce seasonal campaigns, experiment with photography, test new channels—but anchor everything back to your core system. Think remix, not reinvention.

3. Scratch the itch in safe spaces

Want to experiment wildly? Create a limited-edition drop, a one-off campaign, an exclusive print item (ex. coffee table book) or even internal-only visuals that let you play while still utilizing your core brand elements. Protect the core identity while giving yourself room to stretch.

4. Focus on evolution, not overhaul

If your brand truly needs a shift (your audience has grown, the market has changed, or your positioning is outdated), approach it as evolution, not destruction. Strategic shifts keep you relevant without erasing your equity.

5. Ask your audience, not your mirror

Your boredom isn’t the metric. Customer connection is. Before you throw away what you’ve built, get feedback. The people you serve will tell you if it’s stale or still resonating.

Bottom line:

Your job as a founder isn’t to be endlessly entertained by your own brand. It’s to build something recognizable, consistent, and trustworthy enough that customers feel at home in it.

So next time boredom sets in, don’t panic. Flex it, play with it, evolve it carefully. Because consistency is what earns trust, and trust is what earns growth.