System layout also mandates which lights are on & when. The NAV (Position) lights are normally on the Service Bus & on at all times there is power available to the aircraft. You don't notice them indaylight owing to the relatively low intensity.
Most authorities require the Flight Data Recorder to be on prior to engine start. To the best of my knowledge, all Boeings and most Bombardier aircraft do this by slaving the FDR ON to both of the Strobe lights and adding Beacon Lights ON (Red Strobes) as part of the pre-start checklist. The brighter, white, Strobes (normally refered to as Anti-Collision lights in most AFMs) are only switched on after takeoff clearance is given (as above).
BTW if you follow common military practice & switch off all strobes prior to shut down, you'll probably get a "No Fault Found" maintenance hit on a commercial jet as the FDR won't be communicating with the FDAU (or DCU on the CRJs & 604s) and the Maintenance Diagnostic Computer will log it.