Would you queue 10 minutes for the same product?

It started with a smell.

Spicy. Smoky. Slightly burnt.

I was walking through a local food fair when it hit me — the unmistakable scent of charred corn rubbed with lime and chilli powder.

Two stalls were selling it.

Same product.
Same price.
Same ingredients.

But one had a queue. The other? The vendor was scrolling through Instagram.

I walked straight to the crowded one. Waited 10 minutes. Paid. Took a bite. It was good. But not 10-minutes-of-queue good. And that’s when it hit me.

I didn’t buy the corn. I bought the experience.

The smoke rising from the coals. The guy calling out, “Bhaiyya, extra masala?” The way he charred it just a little more after you nodded.

The feeling that this stall was popular. The empty stall didn’t smell like anything.

No sounds.
No buzz.
No signal of quality.

And in that moment, I realized something I wish I knew years ago:

People don’t just buy products.
They buy what it feels like to get them.

Back when I was starting out, I obsessed over the thing. The product. The pricing. The font on the damn packaging. I’d spend hours tweaking the tiniest details.

The shade of blue. The alignment of a heading. The thickness of a line.

And then?

Crickets. No one cared.

Because while I was buried in design tweaks, someone else was creating moments. The kind people remember, the kind people talk about and the kind people queue up for.

Branding, I thought, was just about looking good.

But I was wrong.

Branding is about being felt.

When you walk into an Apple store, it’s not just tech. It’s theatre.

When you open a Starbucks cup, it’s not just coffee. It’s your name (spelled wrong) on a cup — and somehow, it still feels good.

When someone buys from you, they’re not just buying a solution. They’re buying the story, the vibe, the status of having chosen you.

That crowded corn stall wasn’t just selling corn. It was selling belonging.

The empty stall?

It was selling... nothing.

If you’re building something — anything, ask yourself: “What does it feel like to buy from me?”

Not just:

• How does it look?

• What’s the price?

• Is the product good?

But:

• What do people feel in the first 5 seconds?

• What’s the vibe they walk away with?

• What story are they telling themselves after the purchase?

Because in the long run?

People remember how you made them feel.
Not what font you used.

And when you build that kind of brand? You don’t need to scream. You don’t need to chase. People will queue up.

Even for corn.

Wanna build a brand people crave? Let’s make them feel something.

Because “good design” is everywhere.

But experience?
That’s rare.
And rare wins.

Hit reply and tell me: when’s the last time you queued up for something?

Btw, the waitlist for The Brand Engine is gonna end soon… We start pre launch on May 31st. So signup and stay tuned to get that secret reward.

See ya!