Backyard Infiltration

The Hotpot | February 2026 | By Lisanne

17.2

In 2016, Triangl wanted to persuade Kendall Jenner for their bikini brand. Instead of going straight for the crown with a bag of cash, they did something smarter.

Triangl saw that writing a massive check and knocking on the Kardashians’ front door is what the majority of brands would have done. Triangl understood that Kendall’s door is basically reinforced steel—a direct pitch would be noise in an endless sea of requests.

To someone like Kendall Jenner, one of the most sought-after faces on the planet, a brand invitation is just another stranger shouting for a piece of her time.

So instead, Triangl consciously bypassed the gatekeepers and walked through the backyard.

They decided to send their bikinis to the people Kendall already trusted—the friends she would hang out with on private beaches and at Sunday parties. Triangl understood that trust is non-transferable. By gifting her inner circle, the brand borrowed the trust that already existed in those relationships.

This savvy business move ultimately created the inevitability factor. The brand made sure that the wallpaper of her life changed, and because we are all wired to seek belonging, desires might change with it.

This move was also ultimately about lowering the stakes. A direct pitch to a superstar is challenging and high-cost. Flying “under the radar” with her peers who have smaller platforms and audiences is more low-friction and potentially high-reward. It could turn a “No” into a “Not yet,” and eventually into a “Why don’t I have one?”

So by the time Kendall finally wore the bikini, it was no longer a business decision. It was an inevitable reaction to her environment. The brand wasn’t an advertisement anymore; it was part of her life.

The revelation of this is that reach can be bought, but true influence seeps through the walls. The shortest path to the top is almost never a straight line.

Sometimes we have to build trust in the backyard before we’re even allowed through the door.

Thank you for reading! The journal prompt of today:

Who is the ‘Kendall Jenner’ in your industry, and who are the three people to whom they truly listen?

Let me know in the comments

Curious to see more reflections like this? Click through to see the rest of the series on entrepreneurship. I’d love to hear what resonates with you.