How to Monetize a Cult Following: Lessons from MrBeast and Notion
Let me tell you a story about two very different cults.
The first meets in a dimly lit warehouse. Members wear matching black hoodies, trade secret handshakes, and chant the founder’s name in unison.
The second gathers on Discord and Figma. They argue passionately about productivity frameworks, share custom templates, and refer to themselves as “Notioners.”
One sells $10 burgers. The other sells $10/month software.
And both are printing money.
MrBeast Burger, launched in 2020 as a virtual restaurant chain, reportedly hit $100M in revenue in its first year.
Notion, the all−in−one workspace tool, grew to a $10B valuation by turning users into evangelists who host IRL meetups and tattoo the app’s logo on their bodies.
What do these companies — one rooted in YouTube spectacle, the other in Silicon Valley minimalism — have in common?
They monetize depth, not breadth.
Most creators and startups chase scale: more followers, more users, more eyeballs. But MrBeast and Notion flipped the script. They built products for their most obsessive fans, then let those fans become the product.
Here’s how they did it — and why your next $1M idea might be hiding in your 100 truest fans.
1. What “Cult Following” Actually Means
A cult isn’t about size. It’s about belief.
MrBeast fans don’t just watch his videos — they live by his stunts. When he launched a burger chain with no physical locations (just delivery via existing kitchens), they ordered $5 milkshakes to “see if it’s real.” When he buried himself alive for 50 hours, they tuned in live to watch him eat a steak underground.
Notion users don’t just track tasks — they missionize. They host “Notion workshops” at coffee shops, build $250K/year template marketplaces, and meme about their dependency (“Notion > therapy”).
These aren’t customers. They’re apostles. And apostles do three things better than anyone:
They tolerate jank (MrBeast Burger’s soggy fries; Notion’s infamous loading times).
They evangelize for free (UGC burger reviews; Notion template TikToks).
They beg you to take their money (limited-edition hoodies; $1K/year enterprise plans).
Most companies see “viral growth” as a funnel. Cult leaders see it as a ritual.
2. The Monetization Playbook
Tactic 1: Productize the cult
MrBeast didn’t launch a merch line — he launched a burger religion. The patty is just a prop; the real product is participation in his universe.
How to steal this:
Turn inside jokes into IP (e.g., “Chris the Meme King” burgers).
Let fans physically engage with the lore (e.g., “Free fries if you recreate the Finger Touch stunt”).
Notion took this further. Their product is the cult. Every blank page is a canvas for users to build their own mini-cults (e.g., “Vampire schedules” for night owls, “CEO OS” for hustlers).
Key move: They monetized through the community, not from it. The $5B template economy? Notion gets of that directly — but it doesn’t matter. Those templates act as free R&D and sales reps.
Tactic 2: Own the ecosystem
Cults collapse when the leader gets lazy. MrBeast and Notion stay irreplaceable by controlling the entire stack:
They’re not just building products — they’re building micro-economies where fans can graduate from consumer to contributor to co-owner.
The lesson: Let your cultists level up.
MrBeast fans start as viewers → become burger customers → join his “Finger Touch” AR game → get cast in videos.
Notion users start as free tier → pay for AI → sell templates → get hired as ambassadors.
Tactic 3: Monetize the mythology
Cults thrive on mystery and exclusivity.
MrBeast Burger’s “ghost kitchen” model worked because it felt half-scam, half-miracle. (“Is this real? Only one way to find out…”)
Notion’s “viral but unpolished” vibe (remember the “this app will change your life” tweets?) made it feel like a secret weapon.
Why this works:
Consumers are numb to traditional ads. But they’ll pay to feel like insiders.
MrBeast’s $20 Mystery Boxes (literal black boxes labeled “???”) sold out in hours.
Notion’s $1K lifetime plan (scrapped in 2022) became a status symbol — like owning Bitcoin in 2013.
3. The Dark Side of Cult Economics
This isn’t all free burgers and productivity hacks. Two risks to watch:
1. The scalability trap
Cults get messy when they grow. MrBeast Burger expanded too fast, earning complaints about cold food and fake “sold out” labels. Notion’s template gold rush created chaos (50 “ultimate life OS” templates in 2023).
Fix: Keep one product rigidly controlled (MrBeast’s core YouTube channel) and let the ecosystem run wild.
2. The acquisition paradox
Cult loyalty doesn’t transfer. If Duolingo bought Notion, would “Notioners” care about language streaks? If Coca-Cola acquired MrBeast Burger, would fans trust it?
Fix: Monetize in-house. MrBeast launched Feastables chocolate; Notion built its AI add-on.
The Playbook
Find your 100 truest believers (the ones who’d get your logo tattooed).
Build a product that turns them into heroes (burgers, templates, etc.).
Let them build the next layer (UGC, merch, memes).
Profit from the mythology (not the margin).
The future of monetization isn’t about chasing 1M followers — it’s about finding 1K fans who’ll die on your hill.
Or, as MrBeast would say: “I’m not here for the clout. I’m here for the cult.”
What’s your play?
Are you team “cult following” or team “mass market”?
Reply with a brand you think nails this (or fails spectacularly).