We sold out in 8 days without a product
Kreator Letter #16. The founder letter I write for our Karisma community. The raw journey and the learnings.
It’s time you know.
Today, I’ll share the crazy story of how Karisma Selekt began over a year ago. And how we sold out in 8 days without a clear product.
Last year, Karisma was thriving. Hundreds of members. Endless events. Constant energy. From the outside, it looked perfect.
But deep down, something didn’t feel right.
We had founders at every stage. From “I’m looking for my purpose” to “just had my second exit.” And while that diversity was beautiful, it created a gap.
Because at some point, experience becomes its own kind of isolation. You can have a hundred people around you and still feel like no one truly gets it.
That’s when we knew: we needed something else.
A space for those who’d already made it but still wanted to grow not just their businesses but also themselves across all areas of life.
That’s how the idea for Karisma Selekt was born.
So, we reached out to everyone who’d been part of the journey. We opened a waitlist and announced only 16 spots.
We weren’t selling features (we barely knew them yet). Instead, we sold emotion, we sold belief, the why.
And then came the sneaky part...
The night before sales went live, we hosted a secret launch party in a private loft with handpicked founders who shared the same fire.
We told them the vision. We asked for trust.
Honestly, I was super nervous that day. Here’s the VLOG of that day.
The next morning, nearly half the spots were gone.
Eight days later, we sold out.
From idea to launch, only two months had gone by.
That’s when I learned a lesson I’ll never forget:
In community building, there’s always a chicken-and-egg problem. You can’t create a great experience without great people. But you can’t attract great people without a great experience.
So you start before you’re ready. You launch, you listen, you learn.
Those first 16 founders were our co-creators. They gave feedback, ideas and helped shape Karisma into what it is today.
(Compare this pic with the one after. One year difference. Totally different vibe.)
And one year later, I know this for sure:
The real product isn’t the events. It’s not the fancy features. It’s the people.
Because what high-level founders really want isn’t more tactics or advice. It’s belonging. It’s inspiration. It’s walking into a room where everyone gets it. Where ambition meets depth and every conversation makes you feel more alive.
Karisma wasn’t built on perfection. It was built on trust.
And that’s what made it work.
Now, one year later, we’re receiving around 200 applications a month.
It’s not enough to be a 7 or 8 figure founder. You have to share our values.
Curation is everything!
For this reason, we’re capping each city at 150 members.
And we’re already halfway there.
Life is good,
Marc & The Karisma Team