25 Things Cult Brand Founders Are Obsessing Over Right Now
Discover 25 strategies cult brand founders are focused on right now—from community flywheels and founder POV content to rituals, language, and legacy.
Why Cult Brands Are Different?
Big news first: The N School was recently featured on the Female Founder Collective’s list of best podcasts for founders. We landed alongside shows like How I Built This, Second Life, and Superwoman. They described this podcast as one that “challenges business norms and champions creative freedom.”
That’s exactly the energy of this post. Today, I’m breaking down 25 things cult brand founders are obsessing over right now. These aren’t trends to chase—they’re principles and practices shaping brands that people can’t stop talking about.
25 Things Cult Brand Founders Obsess Over
1. Storytelling That Feels Lived-In
Forget polished perfection. Founders are leaning into storytelling that feels like a diary—real, specific, and immersive.
2. Building Flywheels, Not Just Funnels
Funnels bring people in. Flywheels keep them spinning. Retention > reach is the new growth model.
3. Retention Over Reach
It’s more expensive to chase new people. Founders are focusing on keeping existing customers engaged and building loyalty loops.
4. Founder POV Content
Your behind-the-scenes perspective matters. Think of it as a brand diary in public.
5. Photogenic Merch & Packaging
Design products and packaging people want to photograph. (Haley Bieber’s lip gloss phone case is the case study here.)
6. Turning Launches Into Cultural Moments
Product drops that feel like events, not announcements.
7. Tracking Cult Competitors Like Case Studies
Study them without jealousy. Borrow frameworks, not content.
8. Secret Sauce Language
Mantras, nicknames, insider terms—language that makes your people feel like they’re “in.”
9. House Party IRL Experiences
No more sterile conferences. Community experiences that feel like hangouts.
10. Aesthetics That Outlast Trends
Commit to your aesthetic codes, not what’s trending.
11. Building Teams as Collectives
Small, loyal circles > big org charts. Collaboration over hierarchy.
12. Scarcity Without Manipulation
Tell the truth about your inventory or service capacity. Scarcity builds desire—but only when it’s real.
13. Studying Subcultures Driving Mainstream Shifts
Watch the microcultures (cottagecore, tradwife, fairycore) that shape macro shifts.
14. Customer Journeys as Story Arcs
Replace the sales funnel with a story your customer steps into.
15. Rituals That Turn Products Into Identity
How does your product fit into a daily ritual that becomes part of someone’s identity?
16. Cultural Commentary in Marketing
Customers want value alignment. Speak up—values are sticky.
17. Listening Obsessively to Customer DMs
Your customers are telling you what they want. Watch the DMs, forums, and niche spaces.
18. Building Media Arms Alongside Product
Brands aren’t just products anymore—they’re publishers.
19. Using AI to Scale Without Losing Your Soul
AI is a tool for amplification, not replacement. (This is what we teach inside Oui, We Studio.)
20. Founder Energy = R&D Energy
Your visibility as a founder is as important as the product itself.
21. Borrowing Moves From Cult Classics
Study what brands like Glossier, Supreme, and Aesop did early on.
22. Email Aesthetic = Instagram Aesthetic
Your email presence should feel as polished (and on-brand) as your social.
23. Beta Testing in Community
Launch small. Iterate with insiders before scaling.
24. Drops With a “Why Now”
Every product launch should answer: Why today? Why this moment?
25. Thinking About Legacy, Not Just This Month’s Revenue
Shift from “quick win” to long-term cult brand building.
What This Means for Founders
If you’re building right now, you don’t need to implement all 25. Pick two or three obsessions that feel most aligned, and go deep. Whether that’s retention, rituals, or storytelling, the shift will compound over time.
This is exactly the work we’ll be diving into inside our new Cult Brand Accelerator launching this fall—a six-week experience designed to get you ready to roll into 2026 with:
A sticky social strategy
A customer-first engagement plan
Language and rituals that build loyalty
A launch roadmap built for legacy
Join the waitlist soon—details are coming.
Ways to Go Deeper With Us
Cult Brand Accelerator (Fall 2025) – Six weeks of focused work to get your brand ready for 2026.
OOO Club – Monthly challenges for out-of-office entrepreneurs building businesses on autopilot.
Work With Us at Oui, We Studio – Need custom strategy? Fill out the Work With Us form.
Casa Noon Updates – Get early access to live events and our first serum release.
Final Takeaway
Cult brands aren’t built overnight. They’re built through obsessions—the details you repeat, the rituals you nurture, the loyalty you protect.
Pick your obsessions. Build with intention. Think legacy over virality.
🎧 Tune in for the full 25 obsessions—and pick a few to make your own.
🔗 Links & Mentions:
Join the waitlist for the Cult Brand Accelerator (Fall 2025), details coming soon
Explore Casa Noon updates + early merch via TYB: tyb.xyz
Work with Andi + Oui, We Studio: ouiwestudio.com
Join the OOO Club for monthly challenges + community
