Early-stage startups shouldn’t use icon-only logos. At this stage, few know your brand - and you get just a handful of chances to be remembered. Including your name next to the icon boosts recognition. Look at early logos of Apple, OpenAI, and Nike - they all led with the name.

Apple’s first logo included the name “Apple Computer” to clearly convey what the company did. Early on, they prioritized clarity so people immediately understood their product.

OpenAI follows a similar branding approach to Apple. While its current logo is iconic, the original simply featured the name “OpenAI” - because before widespread recognition, the name mattered most.

Before its iconic "AI" logo, the first logo of Anthropic is still - has its name on it.

You think Y Combinator's has always been the "Y" letter? It is not true. The first logo of YC is its full name - Y Combinator.