Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about apps like Cal AI, Strava, Duolingo, Letterboxd, GitHub, etc.
Not because of their features.
But because of something WAY more important:
👉 They have CULT FOLLOWINGS.
People don’t just use these apps.
They identify with them.
And honestly, I think there’s still a HUGE opportunity to build apps/websites like this — especially for students, developers, creators, and internet-native communities.
What makes an app get a cult following?
From what I’ve observed, the apps that explode usually combine:
- Progress tracking
- Streaks
- Social identity
- Competition
- Community
- Daily habit loops
- Shareable achievements
- “People like me use this” energy
Examples
- Strava → runners/gym culture
- Duolingo → learning streaks
- GitHub → developer identity
- Letterboxd → movie community
- Cal AI → fitness/self-improvement culture
The product becomes part of the user’s personality.
Some ideas I genuinely think could work today
1. “Strava for Developers”
Not just another coding tracker.
I mean:
- LeetCode streaks
- GitHub activity
- AI skill analysis
- coding XP system
- project sharing
- hackathon rankings
- internship progress
- peer competitions
Basically:
turn career growth into a social game.
I honestly think this market is still wide open.
2. Internship Hunt Tracker
Students track:
- applications
- interviews
- rejections
- offers
- resume versions
Add:
- streaks
- leaderboards
- batch rankings
- AI recommendations
This could become addictive VERY fast.
3. Cybersecurity Grind App
Think:
“Duolingo + HackTheBox”
Daily hacking labs.
XP.
Ranks.
Challenges.
Bug bounty progression.
The cybersecurity community is insanely passionate already.
4. AI Career Copilot
Upload:
- resume
- GitHub
Get:
- roadmap
- internship probability
- skill-gap analysis
- project suggestions
- AI feedback
Basically:
an operating system for ambitious students.
5. Build-in-Public Platform for Students
Students post:
- projects
- internship wins
- coding progress
- startup attempts
A mix of:
- GitHub
- Strava-style progression
This space feels VERY underbuilt.
The interesting part?
Most successful cult apps are NOT insanely complex.
They win because they:
- create identity
- make progress visible
- build emotional attachment
- encourage consistency
People stay because of the feeling, not just the feature set.
Also…
I think AI + community + gamification is still massively underrated.
Especially in:
- education
- career growth
- coding
- fitness
- productivity
- cybersecurity
Looking for builders 👀
I’m seriously exploring ideas in this space:
- AI tools
- student-focused platforms
- developer products
- career-tech apps
- gamified systems
- automation
If you’re:
- a developer
- designer
- marketer
- indie hacker
- student builder
and interested in building internet-first products with strong communities, let’s connect.
I’d love to meet people who think long-term and want to build cool things on the internet.
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