Culty Space Scorecard
Identify products that become part of members' routines, identities, and belonging.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 99%
The Culty Space Scorecard evaluates whether a product creates unusually deep, voluntary affiliation. It combines behavioral evidence with identity evidence. Behavioral signals include frequent use, enthusiastic participation, referrals, and sustained engagement. Identity signals appear when members describe themselves through the company or associated role—for example, placing it in a social bio, using it in a professional identity, or mentioning it in an annual family update. The strongest signal is belonging: members feel connected through the company to a community, movement, practice, or purpose larger than the transaction. The scorecard should not reward manipulative dependence or empty branding. A qualifying space produces real value and voluntary advocacy, with observable member-to-member connection and language that arises naturally from participants.
Origin
Extracted from Marketing Against The Grain as Erica Wanger explained what she means by a “culty space” within the Elephant Company thesis.
Core principles
- 01Strong communities appear in behavior as well as brand language.
- 02Identity-level products become part of how members describe themselves.
- 03Referrals signal that members want others to join the experience.
- 04Belonging grows when a company connects people to something larger than a transaction.
- 05Extreme engagement is meaningful only when paired with genuine member value.
How to run it
- 1
Measure Daily Importance
Analyze how often and how deeply members use the product. Distinguish meaningful participation from passive or automated activity.
Pro tip Examine recurring workflows and time spent alongside simple visit counts.
Watch out High frequency can reflect necessity or friction rather than affection.
- 2
Measure Advocacy
Track voluntary referrals, invitations, testimonials, and member-created content. Ask why people want others to participate.
Pro tip Look for advocacy that occurs without a direct incentive.
Watch out Paid referrals alone do not demonstrate community attachment.
- 3
Run the Bio Test
Check whether members publicly include the company, associated role, or community identity in descriptions of themselves. Determine whether the language is self-generated.
Pro tip Search for formulations such as creator, developer, runner, ambassador, or member.
Watch out Company-assigned titles may overstate genuine identity adoption.
- 4
Run the Life-Summary Test
Ask whether participation is important enough to appear in a holiday letter, annual reflection, professional introduction, or family update. This reveals significance beyond routine use.
Pro tip Use interviews to learn how members describe the product when the company is not prompting them.
Watch out Do not infer emotional significance from usage data alone.
- 5
Assess Larger Belonging
Identify the movement, purpose, vocation, belief, or peer group members access through the company. Observe whether members connect with one another.
Pro tip Ask what members would miss socially or personally if the company disappeared.
Watch out A brand audience is not automatically a functioning community.
- 6
Check Ethical Health
Verify that engagement is voluntary, beneficial, and compatible with member autonomy. Reject manipulative lock-in as evidence of a healthy culty space.
Pro tip Measure satisfaction, agency, and member outcomes alongside retention.
Watch out Addictive behavior and coercive pressure are not positive community signals.
In the wild
A professional does not merely use Webflow for occasional tasks but describes themselves publicly as a Webflow developer, participates with peers, and derives work opportunities and belonging from that identity.
→ The product becomes part of the member's professional self-concept and distribution spreads through identity.
A customer uses an invoicing utility every week but never discusses it, refers peers only when paid, has no relationship with other users, and would replace it immediately with a cheaper equivalent.
→ Frequent use alone does not qualify the category as a culty space.
Common mistakes
Equating Frequency with Belonging
Daily use can result from necessity, habit, or poor workflow design. Identity and community evidence must accompany behavioral activity.
Manufacturing Identity Language
Giving customers a branded label does not make it part of their self-concept. Look for voluntary adoption in natural settings.
Romanticizing Manipulation
The metaphor should describe strong voluntary community, not coercion, addiction, exclusion, or exploitation.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for evaluating products in categories where belonging, lifestyle, vocation, faith, or a shared mission can strengthen retention and distribution.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for low-involvement utilities that solve occasional tasks without becoming part of a user's identity.
From the transcript
“Your members, some people call them customers, usually we call them members.”
“One thing I like to say to people is are you gonna mention that company in your Instagram bio?”
“this company is making you feel connected to something bigger than yourself. That's when it's culty.”
From the episode
Inside the Hidden Playbooks of Businesses That Actually Win