When a billion-dollar bet on arthouse cinema meets teenagers selling newspapers in the Hamptons, it reveals how radical proximity to your audience might be the only strategy left that works.
In this monthly review, Igor and Johannes uncover a pattern hiding in plain sight: while mainstream culture flattens into algorithmic predictability, billion-dollar businesses are being built by doing the exact opposite. From Mubi's quiet 18-year journey to unicorn status to fashion designers abandoning boardrooms for London's car boot sales to Gen Z rediscovering the radical act of local journalism—each story reveals the same truth: being everything to someone beats being something to everyone.
The conversation weaves through venture capital's surprising bet on arthouse cinema, the data goldmine of watching customers touch fabric, and why teenagers who need their parents to drive them to interviews might understand community better than any algorithm. Johannes connects it all to the post-pandemic realization of what we've been missing, while Igor warns about the pressure that comes with billion-dollar valuations.
From the Spotify Paradox (how did that artist get 500 million plays without you knowing?) to why KFC tested 400 marketing claims and still got it wrong, this episode dissects what happens when you choose authentic connection over optimized reach. Whether you're building a business, creating content, or just trying to understand why everything feels so disconnected, this conversation offers both diagnosis and cure.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: Niches Becoming Mainstream
02:14 - Monthly Review Format & Welcome
02:40 - MUBI: The Billion-Dollar Art House Success
11:45 - Cultural Flattening and the Marvel Effect
16:00 - Fashion Designers Hit the Markets
26:01 - Teenagers Create Hamptons Newspaper
33:09 - The Decline of Copywriting Quality
9:56 - Getting Close to Your Audience
41:15 - Closing & Call to Action
Links:
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Follow the Rabbit on Spotify
Follow the Rabbit on Apple Podcasts
Follow the Rabbit on Youtube
Follow the Rabbit is a Known Unknowns production
Known Unknowns on YouTube
Known Unknowns on Instagram
Follow the Rabbit is hosted by Igor Schwarzmann & Johannes Kleske
Find out more about Igor Schwarzmann
Find out moire about Johannes Kleske
