The feedback we've got around us and the posts on this thread, seem to agree on the fact that this is a clear branding issue, so we may reconsider our take on that one.
We preferred to start with something that would only try to appeal to clients who understand the meaning of "Hacker", as a sort of filter. And only introduce a different branding for clients later on, when we would want to extend the target audience. But it may be interesting to do some AB testing here, and see if we can get good clients without the Hacker branding too, from the start.
I'm not sure why you'd want to put effort into branding twice, though. Consulting is about a clear image and track record, it's hard enough to build and keep.
We preferred to start with something that would only try to appeal to clients who understand the meaning of "Hacker", as a sort of filter. And only introduce a different branding for clients later on, when we would want to extend the target audience. But it may be interesting to do some AB testing here, and see if we can get good clients without the Hacker branding too, from the start.