A $1M-a-Day Goblin. Seriously.

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

🌟 Editor's Note:

Welcome to Behind the Books! A 3-minute read with stories, tools, and lessons from real companies—what worked, what didn’t, and what founders can learn.

🧸 The Story:

Meet Labubu, a plushie with sharp teeth, bug eyes, and a permanent snarl.

Think Furby meets punk gremlin.

Definitely not your standard childhood toy.

But here’s the plot twist:

Labubu is now raking in over $1 million in daily sales, turning Chinese brand Pop Mart into a $43 billion cultural engine.

Their CEO? He got $1.6B richer. In a single day.

So how did this quirky goblin go viral?

Let’s rewind:

→ Kasing Lung, a Belgian-Chinese illustrator, first created Labubu for a whimsical kids’ book.

→ In 2019, Pop Mart picked it up and dropped it into their blind-box model.

→ Each box is a mystery. Some Labubus are rare. A few have sold for $150K+ at auction.

Then things exploded:

→ Blackpink’s Lisa was spotted carrying it.

→ TikTok unboxings went viral.

→ Fan art, cosplay, and Labubu-themed tattoos flooded social feeds.

→ Gen Z and millennials started treating it like streetwear. A flex. A collectible. A culture.

The Lesson:

You don’t need broad appeal. You need specific obsession.

Labubu is weird. That’s the point.

Pop Mart didn’t chase “cute.”

They went deep with a community that felt something.

You don’t need mass appeal. You need emotional gravity.

So if your brand feels too niche… lean in.

From Behind the Books:

In a world chasing polish, weird wins.

Your weekly prompt:

What’s the one thing about your brand that’s too weird to copy?

Double down on it.

That’s where the magic lives.

See you next Friday,

– Yan

P.S. If you’ve ever sold something weird and won, hit reply. I’d love to hear it.