An exploration of what was achieved, what was misunderstood, and what remains unclaimed.

WHY THIS REVIEW EXISTS

This is not a teardown.
It’s not a design critique.
It’s not a positioning purist sermon.

It’s a contribution to a larger conversation: What does it truly take to transform a product into a movement, a brand into a business, and a business into a category?

Matthew Encina’s rebrand of Mode is a visually refined, emotionally thoughtful, and procedurally sound piece of work. However, like many modern branding efforts, it stops just short of where real transformation begins: in positioning intelligence.

This review exists to explore the gap between intent and impact. To bring nuance, not negativity. And to expand the frame, from branding as visual language to positioning as business philosophy.

If you lead brand, product, or strategy, this will give you clarity on the difference between design systems and mental monopolies.

If you’re in the trenches of a rebrand, this will help you see what needs to be decided before anything is designed.

If you’re in love with aesthetic execution, this will show you what still remains undefined underneath.

I. WHAT MATTHEW GETS RIGHT

Matthew understands three truths most designers and executives miss:

1. Brand is not a logo, it’s a system of experience

The video wisely avoids the trope of “here’s our new logo.” Instead, it explores tone, typography, imagery, and user touchpoints as expressions of deeper value. That’s rare.

2. Customer understanding precedes brand articulation

Mode conducted interviews, created personas (e.g., Tim the UX Manager, Jay the busy engineer), and mapped journeys. While basic, this exercise reflects design maturity.

3. Craft is culture

Matthew’s story begins not with strategy but with making. The oak accent. The wood grain. The late nights. This is honest. It’s how most cult brands start, with obsession, not opportunism.

Mode is trying to feel less like a product and more like a practice. That’s directionally right.

II. WHAT THEY THINK THEY’RE DOING VS. WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING

Let’s unpack the core framing error.

What They Think They’re Doing:

Positioning Mode as “Warm Tech” — thoughtful, human, high-design peripherals for modern work.

What That Implies:

• That “warm” is a positioning
• That customers want “humanized” devices
• That a design refresh can realign a company

What’s Actually Happening:

They’ve executed a world-class aesthetic redesign, infused with genuine care and high taste, but not a business positioning.

• “Warm” is an adjective, not a noun
• The new brand feels better, but doesn’t mean more
• No mental territory is being claimed or defended
• The product is still a keyboard, not a category

As it stands, Mode is beautifully forgettable. A well-dressed guest in someone else’s house.

III. THE SCIENCE OF WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS

Let’s bridge the gap between what feels strategic and what is strategic by applying the first principles of positioning.

Principle 1: Positioning is not what you say. It’s what you own in the mind.

Tesla owns the future, not EVs.
Red Bull owns human performance, not caffeine.
Teenage Engineering owns wonder through engineering, not synths.
Apple owns creative empowerment, not design.

Mode owns…?

Until someone sees your product and fills in the blank:
“That’s not just a keyboard, that’s a ___” you don’t have positioning.

Principle 2: Positioning precedes identity. Identity flows from belief.

Mode’s “Warm Tech” aesthetic is emotionally resonant. But it is not grounded in belief or strategic restraint. It is how it looks, not what it is.

Contrast with Dieter Rams:

“Good design is as little design as possible.”

This wasn’t about simplicity. It was about respect. That belief shaped:

• Product scope (fewer features)
• Materials (unpainted, functional)
• Form (invisible)

Mode’s version of this? Unclear. There’s no equivalent belief driving subtraction. No design constraints that act as a signal.

Principle 3: Category leaders don’t compete on features or form. They reframe meaning.

Apple redefined computers as creative tools.
Patagonia redefined apparel as activism.
TE redefined synths as toys for grown-up engineers.

Mode is still positioned as a “better keyboard.”

Until they ask “What’s broken about how people experience tools for work?” and answer it with a contrarian worldview, they are not yet in the business of category design.

IV. WHAT WOULD REAL POSITIONING LOOK LIKE?

Let’s use the Positioning Hierarchy to reverse-engineer Mode’s potential.

Layer	Current	Potential
Product	Beautiful keyboard	Object of intention
Outcome	Better typing experience	Workspace as sanctuary
Identity	Style-aware buyer	Present, focused practitioner
Worldview	“Good design matters”	“Work is ritual, not routine”

Three Possible Territories Mode Could Own:

1. Intention

Tools for Presence. Built for those who don’t multitask life.

Proof Points:

• Zero distractions in software or lighting
• Slower boot intentionally
• Tactile haptics that reward rhythm

2. Craft

Digital heirlooms. Designed to be repaired, kept, passed on.

Proof Points:

• Limited runs with serials
• Materials that age
• Buyback and refurbish program

3. Ritual

Everyday ceremony. Your workspace deserves reverence.

Proof Points:

• Unboxing like a tea ritual
• Meditation app built into typing rhythm
• Soundscapes based on keypress

These aren’t marketing gimmicks.
They’re positioning decisions.
They make you unmistakable.

V. THE CATEGORY OPPORTUNITY MODE IS MISSING

Mode has a chance to do more than position within “mechanical keyboards.” They could create an entirely new category.

Current Category: Mechanical Keyboards (competing on switches, materials, aesthetics)

Potential Categories:

• “Conscious Computing Interfaces” (for Intention)
• “Digital Craft Tools” (for Craft)
• “Ritual Peripherals” (for Ritual)

This isn’t just renaming. It’s reframing the entire conversation around human-computer interaction. When you create the category, you define the rules.

How to Defend Each Position:

Position	Competitive Moat	Why It’s Defensible
Intention	Patent the “slow boot,” create a distraction-free certification	First-mover in “anti-speed” computing
Craft	Establish maker’s guild, traceable supply chains	Heritage and provenance can’t be faked
Ritual	Build practice community, mindfulness partnerships	Network effects around shared practice

VI. THE BUSINESS MODEL IMPLICATIONS

Each position demands different operational choices:

Position	Pricing Strategy	Distribution	Community	Hiring Filter
Intention	Premium for focus ($500+)	Direct only, no Amazon	Productivity coaches	People who single-task
Craft	Collector pricing ($800+)	Maker spaces, galleries	Artisan network	Traditional craftspeople
Ritual	Subscription possible	Wellness channels	Practice groups	Meditation practitioners

The Ultimate Test: Would Mode’s team quit if the company abandoned this position? When positioning becomes identity (when violation feels like betrayal), that’s when you know it’s real.

VII. THE COST OF NOT POSITIONING

By remaining aesthetically excellent but strategically undefined, Mode leaves significant value uncaptured:

• Price Premium Loss: 30-50% pricing power left on the table (beautiful keyboards vs. objects of intention)
• Word-of-Mouth Inefficiency: “Nice keyboard” vs “This changed how I work”
• Copycat Vulnerability: Any brand can be “warm” tomorrow
• Team Alignment Cost: Every decision requires debate without a north star
• Market Cap Ceiling: Accessory company vs. category creator (10x valuation difference)

The hidden cost: Talented people want to work on missions, not margins. Without positioning, recruiting becomes about perks, not purpose.

VIII. WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THIS?

For creatives, founders, and strategists, here’s the lesson:

🧠 Aesthetic refinement ≠ Strategic definition

Don’t confuse good taste with great positioning.
Don’t confuse emotional tone with owned meaning.

Positioning is a business decision. A statement of what you are, what you are not, and why it matters now. Until that decision is made, branding, marketing, and even products are all form without force.

IX. FINALLY

1. Make a choice. Own a noun. You can’t own “warm.” You can own “intention,” “ritual,” or “craft.” Choose one.
2. Don’t stop at design. Start at belief. Ask what belief will shape your yes/no filter. Then build your identity system around it.
3. Surprise is proof of position. Would your next product surprise people and still make perfect sense? If not, you don’t have a position. You have a palette.
4. Great brands don’t explain. They become. Apple never said, “We removed the floppy drive to future-proof creativity.” They just removed it. Be decisive. Let your product do the talking.
5. Test your position with sacrifice. What profitable opportunity would you turn down because it violates your position? If you can’t name three, you don’t have a position.

X. CLOSING

This isn’t a critique of a rebrand.
It’s an exploration of what lies beneath and what lies ahead.

Matthew Encina brought elegance, narrative, and thoughtfulness to the Mode brand. He lit the path. But the fire that turns a product into a movement requires a bigger decision:

Not how we look.
Not how we speak.
But what we are and why we must exist.

That’s positioning.
That’s leadership.
That’s what comes next.

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