Not all hits are created equal.
Some are big and loud.
Some are weird and sticky.
Some just feel inevitable—because everyone around you is already talking about them.
Each type of hit plays by different rules.
And if you don’t know which one you’re trying to make,
you’re probably building something that won’t hit at all.
The Cult Classic
Think: Rocky Horror Picture Show or Dazed And Confused
Built for the fringe.
It doesn’t scale easily. It doesn’t need to.
The people who love it? They really love it. They show up again and again.
This kind of hit is dense, layered, and specific.
It gets quoted in bedrooms and Reddit threads.
It builds its own universe—and invites people to live inside it.
You don’t stumble into making a cult hit.
You write it for the diehards on purpose.
The Bestseller
Think: The Da Vinci Code or A Court Of Thorns And Roses
Massive reach. Middle-of-the-curve appeal.
Engineered for scale.
This is the book your uncle read. The one on display at the airport.
Home runs don’t always go deep, but they go wide.
They’re clear, fast-paced, and designed to travel.
And while they feel like lightning strikes, they’re rarely accidents.
They’re backed by a system—PR, distribution, timing, momentum.
This hit will elude you without the horsepower to reach and convince the masses.
The Cultural Mirror
Think: People like us do things like this.
It’s not built for the fringe or the masses.
It’s built for your people.
A restaurant that shows up in the Zagat guide because insiders keep whispering about it.
A newsletter that spreads not because it goes viral—but because it feels like what your tribe reads.
This kind of hit grows through alignment.
It syncs with the values, behaviors, and identity of a small group that likes to signal taste—and bring others with them.
This is the most durable kind of hit.
And the one most creators can actually control.
Don’t build a cult hit by accident.
Don’t chase a blockbuster if you don’t have the infrastructure to support it.
Don’t wait for your work to “go big” if it’s designed to go deep.
Ask first:
What kind of hit am I trying to make?
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