The decision of when to trademark a brand is a timing problem with money on the line, and the default founder instinct—wait until there is traction—is usually the wrong one. This article explains why United States priority flows from first use yet federal registration bolts a nationwide constructive-use date onto that foundation under 15 U.S.C. § 1057(c), how a § 1(b) intent-to-use application lets a company reserve nationwide priority before its first sale, and why a clearance search belongs before, not after, the branding spend. It maps the distinctiveness spectrum from Abercrombie, the difference between common-law and federal rights, the six-month Paris Convention priority window and the Madrid Protocol, bad-faith squatting in first-to-file markets, and realistic per-stage budgets under the 2025 USPTO fee structure. It closes with a stage-by-stage filing timeline, a filing-priority sequence for tight budgets, an honest look at self-filing versus counsel, a fresh worked example, a detailed FAQ, and cross-references to deeper UpLaw resources. The organizing idea is an asymmetry: filing a little too early costs a modest fee, while filing too late can cost a market, a name, or a six-figure rebrand.