The Enduring Relevance of Cultural Sensitivity in Literature

The book that taught us “cool hunting” could be a career—and why that still matters in 2025

In this special episode of Follow the Rabbit, we sit down together in the same room (a rare occurrence!) to discuss the book that fundamentally shaped our approach to cultural research: William Gibson's Pattern Recognition. Published in 2003, this post-9/11 novel introduced us to the concept of professional trend-spotting through the character of Cayce Pollard, a “cool hunter” who gets paid to sense what's emerging before it hits the mainstream.

Our conversation reveals how Gibson's vision of pattern recognition as cultural work became our north star long before we knew how to monetize it. From Cayce's sensitivity to cultural signals to her ethical dilemmas about "exploiting cool," the book provided both aspiration and instruction for navigating the ambiguous territory between discovery and commercialization.

Key themes explored:

• How Gibson captured the essence of cultural research through aesthetics rather than technology
• Why Cayce Pollard remains the perfect model for cultural sensitivity in an age of data overwhelm
• The enduring relevance of pre-smartphone digital culture to our current moment of “digital detox”
• The ethics of revealing cultural signals to brands and the tension between discovery and exploitation
• Why feeling your way forward beats waiting for the data—and how we learned to trust our trained instincts
• The book's prescient understanding of online communities, fan culture, and viral content

We explain why Pattern Recognition feels more relevant in 2025 than it did five years ago, as people seek authentic connections and alternatives to algorithm-driven culture. We also share how the book's central premise—“it's about pattern recognition”—became the tagline for our first website and remains the clearest definition of our work today.

Whether you're interested in cultural research, the evolution of digital communities, or simply want to understand the philosophical foundation behind Follow the Rabbit, this episode offers insight into the mindset and methodology that drive meaningful cultural observation.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: A Special In-Person Episode
01:04 - Discovering Pattern Recognition & William Gibson
04:12 - Cayce Pollard: The Original Cool Hunter
05:52 - “Wait, this is a job?” – Career Inspiration
07:09 - The Aspirational Goal: Just Say Yes or No
08:14 - The Plot: Internet Forums & Viral Footage
10:53 - Post-National Lifestyle & Working Between the Cracks
11:38 - “How Do You Explain to Your Parents What You Do?”
12:02 - The Ethics of Cool: Why Big End Is the Villain
15:40 - Gibson's Instinct for Zeitgeist & Cultural Sensitivity
18:26 - Why 2025 Feels Perfect for Rereading
21:08 - Closing Thoughts & Future Book Discussions

Links:

• Pattern Recognition by William Gibson (2003): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_Recognition_(novel)
• Note about Pattern Recognition from Johannes' Digital Garden: https://garden.johanneskleske.com/pattern-recognition

If you enjoyed this format and would like us to discuss other formative books, let us know. Sometimes the most important insights come from understanding the sources that shaped how we see the world.

You can also watch this episode on Youtube⁠

Follow the Rabbit feels like eavesdropping on a fascinating conversation between two well-read friends at a Berlin coffee shop—smart without being pretentious, critical without being cynical, and deeply engaged with contemporary culture while maintaining historical perspective. The podcast occupies a unique space between trend forecasting, cultural criticism, and philosophical inquiry, delivered with warmth, humor, and genuine enthusiasm for understanding how the world works.

Follow the Rabbit is hosted by Igor Schwarzmann & Johannes Kleske

Find out more about ⁠⁠Igor Schwarzmann⁠⁠ 

Find out moire about ⁠⁠Johannes Kleske⁠⁠