Overused Startup Buzzwords 2025: Expert Warns These Clichés Are Hurting New Brands

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Quick Read:

• New study analyses 50 global startups to reveal the most overused buzzwords on company homepages, with ‘seamless’ appearing 16 times across the dataset
• ‘Shiprocket’ tops the list as the most cliché-dependent startup with 17 buzzwords, while AI infrastructure companies use corporate jargon more than any other industry
• Branding expert warns that relying on vague buzzwords damages credibility and advises startups to focus on specific user benefits instead

Scroll through enough startup websites and you’ll notice something: they all sound eerily similar. Words like “seamless,” “scalable,” and “AI-powered” pepper nearly every homepage, resulting in a sea of sameness that makes it hard for any brand to stand out.

Now, new research has quantified just how bad the buzzword problem has become. Jason Morris, Owner and CEO of Profit Engine, a specialised link-building agency, and his team analysed the homepages and about pages of 50 startups founded between 2020 and 2025 to identify which companies lean most heavily on corporate clichés, and which have managed to carve out genuinely unique voices.

Their study scraped web content from companies across AI, fintech, e-commerce, consumer goods, developer tools, SaaS, and health tech, then counted instances of 22 common buzzwords. The results show a clear pattern: certain industries are drowning in jargon, while a select few companies have managed to avoid the trap entirely.

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The Most Overused Startup Buzzwords of 2025

One word dominates the startup vocabulary more than any other: “seamless.” Appearing 16 times across the 50 companies analysed, it’s by far the most overused buzzword in the dataset. The problem with “seamless” is that it’s become meaningless through overuse. Nearly every company claims their product or service is seamless, but few explain what that actually means for users.

“When everyone claims to be seamless, the word loses all impact,” says Jason. “It’s a lazy shortcut that tells potential customers nothing about what you actually do or why they should care.”

Table 1: Top 10 Most Overused Start-up Buzzwords in 2025

Tied for second place are “scalable” and “empower,” each appearing 6 times. While these words might have specific meanings in certain contexts, they’ve been used so frequently that they now function as filler rather than actual descriptors of value.

“Next-generation” rounds out the top five with 5 mentions, followed by a three-way tie between “AI-powered,” “end-to-end,” and “unprecedented,” each appearing 4 times. The presence of “AI-powered” is particularly telling, given the explosion of AI-related startups in recent years. Many companies are using the phrase as a catch-all selling point without explaining what AI actually does in their product.

The Startups & Industries Most Reliant on Clichés

Some startups rely on buzzwords far more heavily than others. Topping the list is Shiprocket, a logistics and e-commerce platform that packed 17 buzzwords into its homepage and about page. That’s more than one corporate cliché for every three sentences of typical web copy.

Table 2: Top 10 Most Clichéd Start-ups for 2025

Framer comes in second with 16 buzzwords, followed by Modular with 14. The pattern becomes even clearer when you look at industry trends. AI infrastructure companies are by far the worst offenders, racking up 32 total buzzwords across all startups in that category.

Table 3: Top 10 Industries with the Most Start-ups Using Clichés

Logistics and e-commerce follows with 17 buzzwords, while design and web companies used 16. The AI sector’s heavy reliance on jargon isn’t surprising given how quickly the industry has grown, but it does highlight a problem: when everyone in your space sounds the same, differentiation becomes nearly impossible.

“Excessive jargon doesn’t just make you blend in with competitors, it actively damages trust,” Jason explains. “Users are becoming more sophisticated. They can spot empty marketing speak from a mile away, and it makes them wonder what you’re trying to hide.”

Which Startups Stand Out: The Most Unique Brand Voices

While many startups fall into the buzzword trap, some have managed to avoid it entirely. The data reveals that 13 of the 46 startups analysed used zero buzzwords on their homepages and about pages, proving that clear, jargon-free communication is possible even in competitive tech sectors.

Table 4: The Most Unique Start-ups

Perplexity AI stands out as a particularly interesting case. Despite operating in the AI space where buzzwords are most common, the company manages to explain its search technology without resorting to “AI-powered” or “next-generation” language. Liquid Death, the canned water brand, is another notable example of a company that built its entire identity around being different, starting with its messaging.

“The companies on this list understand something fundamental: specificity sells,” says Jason. “Instead of saying they’re seamless or intuitive, they show users exactly what problem they solve and how. That clarity converts better than any amount of corporate speak.”

Consumer-focused brands like OLIPOP and Neko Health also made the list, suggesting that companies selling directly to end users may be more aware of how empty buzzwords sound to regular people.

Practical Tips for Startups: How to Avoid Buzzword Branding

For founders building their brand voice, Jason offers these strategies to cut through the jargon and avoid the buzzword trap:

• Start with User Needs: Before writing any homepage copy, identify the specific problem your users face. Describe the solution in the same language they’d use, not the language investors use.
• Use Specific Benefits Instead of “AI-Powered” Vagueness: Instead of saying your product is “AI-powered,” explain what the AI actually does. Does it save time? Improve accuracy? Automate a tedious task? Say that.
• Avoid Filler Adjectives on Homepages: Words like “seamless,” “intuitive,” and “innovative” take up space without communicating value. Every adjective should earn its place by telling users something concrete.
• Test Homepage Messaging with Real Users: Show your homepage to people outside your industry. If they can’t explain what you do after reading it, you’re probably relying too heavily on jargon.

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