Michelle Bell did not stumble into this idea by accident.
Before founding Cosmic Universe, she worked in journalism and SEO, watching in real time what people searched for, what they clicked, and what they kept coming back to. One pattern stood out. Astrology was not a side interest or a joke category. The demand was huge, the audience was engaged, and the market was much bigger than most people realised.
That insight became Cosmic, a personality and connection platform built around astrology, compatibility, and live experiences. What sounds niche on paper has turned into something much more interesting in practice: a business sitting at the intersection of identity, loneliness, self-discovery, and how people now try to connect.
In this episode, we get into why Michelle left journalism to build something of her own, what she saw in the data that others missed, and how she is building in a space a lot of people still do not take seriously.
We also talk about solo founder pressure, motherhood while building, user behaviour, scepticism, and what it takes to keep going when you know the opportunity is real before everyone else does.
🔗 Find Michelle on LinkedIn
Key takeaways
1️⃣ Search demand tells you what people actually want
People say all sorts of things. Search is harder to fake. Michelle saw a huge volume of demand around astrology, compatibility, and personality long before most people would have treated it like a serious business signal. Attention leaves clues. Founders who know where to look can spot a market before it looks respectable.
2️⃣ A business people dismiss can still be a great one
Plenty of people don’t take astrology seriously. That did not stop the market being real. If anything, the scepticism gave her room to build without too much noise. Founders spend too much time chasing ideas that already look credible instead of backing something with real pull.
3️⃣ Connection is the product now
The app was never just about content. The real signal was what people were asking for underneath it: love, compatibility, self-discovery, someone to meet. That is what pushed the business into live events. When users keep showing you the same emotional need, pay attention. That is usually where the bigger opportunity sits.
4️⃣ Building alone gets loud in your head
Solo founder pressure is different. There is no one next to you to split the weight when a decision is on you and the stakes are real. Data helps, but it does not remove doubt. You still need ways to get out of your own head, reset, and come back clearer.
5️⃣ You don’t need universal approval to build something real
Trying to make everyone take your idea seriously is a waste of time. The better move is to get close to the people who already want what you are making and build for them properly. Once the traction is there, the outside scepticism matters a lot less.
In this episode
00:00 Introduction to Michelle Bell
01:36 Journalism trained her for founder pressure
04:24 She spotted a real astrology market
08:15 A different answer to dating app fatigue
10:45 Turning the app into live events
13:02 People want connection but avoid the risk
15:38 The pressure of being a solo founder
18:39 Measuring meaningful connection
20:57 Social media still drives growth
23:21 What sceptics miss about astrology
26:34 Why founders are wired differently
29:12 When personality helps or hurts leadership
30:43 Building a business through motherhood
32:13 Building in a space people dismiss
34:21 Community matters more than audience
37:18 What power users do differently
39:33 Motherhood, work, and constant adjustment
43:12 New York, London, and raising children
44:31 Why walking clears her head
46:00 Growth means changing your mind
47:55 The reality behind building a business
