Cultural Startups - The Next Frontier
The problem is that Silicon Valley is boring. The solution is for us to create something better.
Remember when startups were about building apps and disrupting fallen industries? How quaint. We're about to enter an era where the most exciting ventures aren't about coding, unless we’re talking about coding entirely new cultures. Take a minute and think about the last time a tech company really blew your mind.
I’ll wait.
You’re bored, aren’t you? You’re bored with Silicon Valley. You miss the early days of the Bay Area in which pioneers and visionaries were breaking new ground. You miss the founder parties in which AI philosophers would mingle with creative geniuses focused on reinventing biotech. You miss the days when the blockchain was a cool idea you were discussing with your developer friends. Now the culture has declined and you’re sick of everything related to Silicon Valley.
So, what’s the problem? The problem is that Silicon Valley is boring. The solution is for us to create something better.
Chinese workers already behave like AI with their high-level conformity, yet somehow their ChatGPT overnight project DeepSeek managed to win over many OpenAI users. Today’s entrepreneurs who build products are in competition with monopolies that discard them like trash. These entrepreneurs are headed out the door on a one-way ticket to some shady self-help seminar. The same faction of the same names and the same faces run the same show. It’s all fake, and everyone authentic is done with the charade.
This traditional world of startups have become predictable at best. Another B2B platform, another marketplace app, and another AI tool promising to revolutionize something that doesn’t need revolutionizing. When a startup isn’t predictable it’s so over-the-top it seems like a prank. “Uber for sweatshops” was the latest pitch at Y-Combinator. We’re funding sweatshops in Silicon Valley now, but the efficient kind.
Nevertheless, anyone with good strategic foresight understands how the ways in which we’re accelerating will be defined by a new set of rules. Startups are, and have always been, set for disruption. What better way to create disruption than to disrupt the entire startup ecosystem itself? The political stage has left us with an exciting new market opportunity that we’re already seizing.
Real startups are about culture.
Welcome to the Age of the Cultural Startup
Always look on the fringes if you want to see what comes next. We’re seeing micro-communities spawn their own economies, aesthetics, philosophical frameworks, and nations. These aren't subcultures. They're startup cultures filling a lost void. Look at Praxis Nation. They recently received $525M to build a city based on what they define as heroic beauty. Praxis is cultural startup that only marks the beginning of this changeover.
Cultural startups are poised to create a new ruling class by producing myths for an ascendent elite. These ideas force founders and investors in Silicon Valley to become more innovative if they want to stay in the game. Real disruption is headed our way. Cultural startups will begin to reach critical mass in mid-2026.
So, how do you create a cultural startup? How do you know that a cultural startup will be a worthy investment? What is the anatomy of a cultural startup?
Read on.
The Anatomy of a Cultural Startup
What makes a cultural startup different from a traditional startup is the recognition that the culture itself is the product. The MVP isn't a platform or an app. It's a worldview gaining traction. The network effects aren't about user growth or financial data. They're about memetic proliferation.
Here are some features of cultural startups:
They're antifragile. Traditional startups can be killed by market shifts or tech changes. Cultural startups thrive on chaos and opposition. Each struggle makes each cultural startup more resilient on a memetic level. Cultural startups are generational projects that become more powerful with every thrust of competition. They are Nietzschean in essence.
They're infinitely scalable. You can copy code but you can't copy culture. Once a cultural startup hits critical mass, it shifts the zeitgeist in a way that affects the life of your family, friends, and neighbors. Culture is able to scale in a way that products cannot. Culture is always rising. Therefore, investing in culture is investing in civilization.
They create a third space. Many of us have been longing for a third space and seeking an end to the loneliness epidemic. That is where cultural startups come in. Whether they are a creative network state, bold new fashion institution, literary speakeasy, or some combination of all these things—they fill a lost void and bring people together IRL. Cultural startups are the third space we’ve all been waiting for.
How to Create a Cultural Startup
You may find a lot of this thought-provoking, but you also may have some doubts as to the rational execution of the whole thing. I’m going to tell you how to create a cultural startup because the process isn’t as complicated as you may think.
Action steps:
Define the culture you’d like to see. What is it about modern culture that’s bothering you? What are your most important criticisms? It’s time to stop complaining and build something better. Begin by creating a document that details the culture you’d like to see.
Create a whitepaper for your cultural startup. You’ve defined the culture that you’d like to see, and now it’s time for you to create a whitepaper for it. Get into technical details about the culture you’re building. Describe the new third space that you’re producing and create a manifesto for it. You are, above all, a founder of culture.
Recruit your friends for your project. Tell your friends about your cultural startup. They may already be a part of your social scene, and now you are upgrading it. If you aren’t a socialite, find people in niche online communities with similar interests. Connect with like-minded people and talk to them about your ideas. Build trust and loyalty. Then onboard people into the fold.
Produce a monetization model. Find a way to profit from your cultural vision. Whether it’s through selling memberships or selling access or distributing shares to your greatest influences or creating fun incentives for stakeholders to help grow your institution, make sure that your monetization model is presentable to the right people. Your vision must be clearly defined and financially sound.
Picking the Right Cultural Startups to Invest in
There will be a proliferation of cultural startups by mid-2026, but how do you know which ones to invest in? Since they are going to spread like wildfire, how do you make the right choices?
Advice for prospective investors:
Think in terms of civilizational growth. Will the cultural startup create an elite that you feel comfortable in? You may think you’re a part of a counter-elite now, but what about leading a new cultural power? Will the cultural startups you invest in raise your status or merely your portfolio? You want to go beyond financial models and think in terms of political ascendency.
Identify cultural startups that show people a good time. As you know, people want to have fun, especially in terms of cultural institutions. Right now people are bored. Silicon Valley culture is sterile. Since there will be many cultural startups that disrupt this environment, the result will be greater forms of entertainment. Invest in ways for people to enjoy themselves.
Scout for cultural leaders. You may have recognized some leaders who have proven their ability to create mass cultural shifts. Who are these founders and how can you help them perfect their cultural startups? How can your investments in their generational projects bring you closer to your own ideal vision? Start leading the leaders with your investments.
Find and fund cultural startups that blend well together. You’re going to want your investments to reflect a greater cultural vision as an investor in these new institutions. Therefore, you’ll want your cultural startups to blend well together. How will the cultural startups that you invest in collaborate? Start thinking about this now in order to maximize your returns. Growth is created by innovative new blends.
I hope this guide has served you well as an introduction to cultural startups. If you’d like help as a prospective cultural startup founder or investor, or simply want to get involved in this realm, don’t hesitate to join The Cultural Futurist as a Founding Member and book private consultation sessions with me.
As a professional consultant in all things culture and technology, I’m happy to help you on your journey toward the stars.
