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 what it takes to build in a category many people still dismiss too quickly.

What we cover

1️⃣ The search signals that pointed to a real market

Michelle explains how search demand revealed an audience with real intent long before astrology looked like an obvious business opportunity.

2️⃣ Building in a category people dismiss

Scepticism can put founders off too early. Michelle talks about seeing past that and focusing on whether the pull is real.

3️⃣ What users were really looking for underneath the product

The bigger opportunity was not just content. It was connection, compatibility, self-discovery, and the emotional needs users kept signalling.

4️⃣ The pressure that comes with building alone

This part gets into solo founder pressure, decision fatigue, and how to keep going when the weight sits with you.

5️⃣ Motherhood, growth, and changing as the business changes

The episode also looks at user behaviour, leadership, and what it means to keep building while your life keeps moving too.

Chapters

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

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