We’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS — a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.
These aren’t trends (yet!). These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply what we’re finding interesting in the last month.
Enjoy! And let us know what you think in the comments.
Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy
1.
00:00 — THE SOCIAL PRODUCT[ION] // More brands are building around gathering itself. Not “community” as a fluffy brand word. Actual tools, rituals, and systems for getting people together, keeping them together, and making that worth paying for.
Places it’s showing up:
* Rodeo, built by Hinge’s ex-CPO and COO, wants to “wrangle” scattered plans and simplify group hangs.
* Posh raised $37M to become infrastructure for the people to monetize their ability to gather.
* Dick’s is pulling serious revenue from GameChanger, turning youth sports stats, livestreaming, and coordination into a business of its own.
Pendulum Swing → You could also just skip the coordination and build for gathering. Swig is winning because kids want somewhere to go. And brands like Princess Polly, Edikted, and Altar’d State are redesigning stores with bigger fitting rooms and hangout spaces built for content creation. Same need. Different answer.
2.
00:00 — PRESENCE IS A FLEX // In a world of booking bots and blue-light glow, actual presence is a premium. The strongest hospitality moves right now are creating conditions where you actually have to be there, pay attention, and actually enjoy the moment.
Places it’s showing up:
* People’s is by-referral-only bar and restaurant built as a “tonic” to bot bookings.
* Chick-fil-A is rewarding people with free ice cream for putting their phones down.
* Pinterest’s phone-free Coachella pop-up.
Pendulum Swing → Amex’s new lounge concept, Sidecar, is built specifically for travelers with less than 90 minutes before boarding. Less “linger” and more “make the most.”
3.
00:00 — FUND THE FRINGE // Some of the most interesting businesses right now are being built in places that used to be treated as too niche, too taboo, or too specific. Turns out, many of those spaces were just too ignored.
Places it’s showing up:
* Polari Labs released A-balls, a solution for anal douching, and sold 1,000 units per minute in the first hour.
* EYWA is building a lab-grown psilocybin supply to reduce the cost of treatment for resistant depression.
* Lucille is going after Ensure’s lane with a complete nutrition shake designed specifically for seniors.
Pendulum Swing → “Do what’s working” is still working. For example, we’re nowhere near peak protein. And in the pet space, “human-grade” is the new “organic.” A must-have, even if it might not mean much.
4.
TRAINING DATA IS A BRAND DECISION // AI is no longer just about what the model can do. It’s about what it’s fed. Training is becoming a strategy. And a brand asset.
Places it’s showing up:
* Oura is building women’s health AI trained on better sources.
* PharmAIcy is selling “psychotropics” for LLMs to get enlightened answers.
* The truth is, the Age of Authorship means we can all build. What we build and what we build on matters more than ever.
Pendulum Swing → Stagwell’s CEO is talking about AI as a way to make cheaper content and better targeting. A temporary reality at best, but a popular one.
5.
00:00 — THE GIFT SHOP // Not everything is a hard sell. Brands are building softer, stranger, more specific ways in. Not the hero product. The adjacent offer that gets you close enough to care. But still investing in what matters.
Places it’s showing up:
* Bilt is opening a Neighborhood Café. Not new. What is: the member’s club vibe.
* Gymshark rewarded London Hyrox finishers with a jacket potato pop-up. No gym apparel in sight.
* REFY launched a community hotline for product development.
Pendulum Swing → April Fool’s fake products and fake collabs have become an actual joke. The comment sections wants what you are putting down. But most aren’t delivering. Except for Claude Code.
Letters and episodes referenced:
* Welcome to the Age of Authorship
* Gymshark made a potato pop-up
* Pets are in their biohacker era
ABOUTChris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.
Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +17K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands | Follow her on Substack
