This week on HYPER, we’ve got an interview with the CTO of KidSuper, touching on technology in brand building, modern brand collabs, new brand spotlights, a designer contest, subtle influencer selling, and viral bags.

Let’s dive in.

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Learn more about superfiliate here

Interview with Adham Foda, CTO at KidSuper

This week, we sit down with the homie Foda, co-pilot to Colm from the KidSuper operation. We unpack his thoughts on creativity, how to think about the modern role of a CTO in brand building, and much more.

Tap in 📥️

Tell us about your background and how you wound up building KidSuper with Colm?

Colm and I went to college and played soccer together, so that’s how we met. Early on, he wanted help with Photoshop/Illustrator to start a brand, and at that time, you could crack anything. So, that’s what I did.

I installed both on my computer to test it out with him, and we’ve been working together ever since.

While we were building KidSuper in the early days, we weren’t making much money yet, so I built a reputation as a Shopify and creative expert. To make things work, I was designing websites, merch, and album art for people, and Colm did the same too. It allowed us to keep the company bootstrapped.

Over the last 12 years, we’ve made some great friends along the way and it’s allowed us to take on dope projects like designing artwork for artists like Russ, book design, objects–all kinds of things.

Since the KidSuper team is lean, I do all the design work (among other things). So, yeah, the CTO title is kinda made up. But one time, Guillermo Rauch from Vercel introduced me to someone as a “creative technologist,” and I’ve always loved that term.

I’ve always operated between a CTO or CD role, and I’ve learned to connect the two together, it’s something I’m really passionate about. I also like to be ambiguous online and often don’t chat about much work I do for KidSuper and outside ventures. I try to keep things IYKYK, ha.

We love seeing how fashion and software collaborate – walk us through how your Vercel x KidSuper collab came about?

So, I was one of the first users on Vercel (which was originally called zeit.co). I used their product a ton for the work I was doing, and one of the first projects that put me on their team’s radar was designing Post Malone’s tour website overnight. So, naturally Vercel became a perfect solution for me and it’s through that I became tight with the Vercel team.

They then had another conference, for which we did the merch after many years and have done it for the last three years. At this point, it’s less of a collaboration and more of a tradition!

We dig the idea that a modern CTO can run across categories – what does that job look like for you, and do you think more brands should consider it?

Honestly, the need for a CTO within a brand depends on whether you want to be an “eCommerce brand” or a World Building Co — often, an e-commerce specialist is confounded with an FE developer or CTO, but ideally, the goal is to push further beyond just eCommerce as a tech extension. You used to be in “tech;” now everything is tech.

This brand CTO should be more of a creative technologist/design engineer than a backend developer. 

It’s not a necessary role, per se, but having someone to step into that role opens up different thought paradigms. Tech enables you to do world-building.

Any interesting collaborations or campaigns outside of your own that have really stood out to you recently?

The collaboration ASICS did with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was great because it wasn’t a brand-x-brand play. I also loved the Tekla Fabrics x Stussy partnership, which felt more like a manufacturing-x-brand teaming up.

Also, shoutout to whoever’s doing the creative stuff with Umbro right now is going crazy!

You collab with everyone from Starbucks to Vercel, Lovesac to Puma. Watching you has made me personally rethink my ideas on the mechanics of collaboration. This is a unique approach for a brand; how does the team decide what to work on, and how do you keep it exciting?

We started doing unconventional brand deals early on, and I think the “brand deal” market has exploded, so we like to keep pushing the boundaries of these types of collaborations.

Generally, there’s some connection between using the products, being fans of them, or just people from brands reaching out as fans of us—there are also many 3-way and more than just traditional 2-brand collabs coming about.

Collaboration is key to any new idea, so we might as well bring in and try to cultivate as many new ideas as possible through unique collaborations. 

Any advice for younger creatives who want to be doing the kind of work you do?

First, keep acquiring skills that you can do on a computer. I like to call myself a professional computer user. Find technical skills and stay sharp, and you’ll always find a way to add value in a rapid-modernizing world. 

Second, experiment all the time. Make your own things, and lend your time to others. Don’t think of it as “working for free,” and never expect anything back.

Last, rinse & repeat, and if whatever you’re building is still fun, just keep going. It’ll all change.

Colm and I are twelve years into this, and I still feel like we are just getting started.

Where can we follow your work?

• instagram.com/foda.farm

• x.com/0xFoda

• asf.is

The subtle influencer “sell”

I pray you follow Edgy Albert on the internet. His content is some of the best in the business.

Recently, he partnered with Salt & Stone to promote their products, and the entire video runs like a low-key SNL skit. Brilliant stuff.

And it had me thinking about the nature of how brands partner with influencers now.

So much of what I’ve been seeing lately are brands working with creators on ironic, downright comedic levels. It's a bit of an off-branded approach to selling products.

And I think this is a trickle-down influence of influencer marketing in general, and how people with big audiences don’t really move the needle the way they used to. Unless, of course there’s a sense of humor and flair to the content.

In this case, Albert is that guy. His content is slightly self-deprecating, unserious, and ironic, but we all love it and resonate with it more this way.

edgyalbert

View more on Instagram

The summer handbag craze

Oh, how the tote bags slap right now. Seriously, they’re bad and bougie, and it’s getting out of control. The creativity is off the charts in a good way.

Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite handbags (let’s be real, you’re going to the farmer’s market) right now–

The crystal tote from All Caps Studio

The infamous-and-previously-sold-out clear Erewhon bag

This magnificent shoe-shaped leather bag from Hender Scheme

And, yes. The unavoidable Nike x Jacquemus swoosh bag

Creative Contest

For our creative readers, the team over at Foreplay (an excellent platform for saving and referencing Meta and TikTok ad inspiration) is running a spec ad content to win up to 10k flexing your design chops designing anything for a brand you love.

Features a number of our internet friends as judges!

Learn more

Brand spotting — Magna

Looks like the founder of Everlane just launched a new hydration-focused brand called Magna.

Hyper Reports

Check out our market reports. We spend many hours researching markets, categories, and brands & products within the consumer space so you don’t have to.

• How to Source Blanks 101 — HERE — a guide to finding and producing your own merch

• Reports on Running, Golf, and Tennis — HERE — a guide to each sport, the market opportunities, and how to launch your own brand

Inquiries? Shoot us a note here: [email protected]

We’d love to chat!

Oren & Clayton❤️ you