Build enough substance that perception becomes irrelevant.

When there is enough actual substance, managing perception becomes unnecessary, because the reality asserts itself faster than any impression could be maintained. People who spend a lot of effort on how they are seen are usually compensating for a gap, and the effort itself is a signal.

Every time you feel the pull to manage how something looks, ask what would need to be true for that not to matter. Then build that instead. It takes longer and it ends the problem rather than managing it.