What Dubai chocolate teaches founders about ICP and going viral
A pistachio and knafeh chocolate bar from a small Dubai shop became a global trend. The lessons for founders are about product, customer and timing.
Dubai chocolate began at Fix Dessert Chocolatier, a small Dubai brand co-owned by Sarah Hamouda. The bar, a milk chocolate shell filled with pistachio cream and crispy knafeh, launched in 2022 as “Can't Get Knafeh of It”. In 2024 it took over TikTok, and big brands worldwide raced to make their own versions.
Lesson 1: a product built for one craving
The idea started from a personal craving for a familiar regional dessert in a new format. It was specific, not generic, and that specificity made it memorable.
Lesson 2: made to be filmed
The crunch, the green filling and the bright packaging looked great in a short video. Fix had a small marketing budget and relied on people tasting the bar on camera.
Lesson 3: scarcity and access
Early bars were handmade in small batches and hard to get, which made people want them more.
Lesson 4: viral is not a strategy
Most products will not go viral. The repeatable part is the foundation behind it: a clear customer, a product they love and content made for the platforms they use. That is what an ICP-led growth system builds, viral moment or not.
What to do this week
Pick the one product or service your best customers rave about. Film it the way they experience it, post it where they scroll, and make it easy to buy in one tap.
