I was listening to the Good News Podcast when I heard a story about… sticks.
Actual sticks.
There’s a community called Stick Nation where people post photos of sticks they’ve found. That’s the whole thing. No membership tier. No merch drop. No premium “artisan branch” subscription.
Just:
“Look at this stick.”
And thousands of people replying, essentially:
“That is a very good stick.”
In 2026, that feels borderline revolutionary.
Why This Is Weirdly Important
At first glance, it’s daft. Grown adults admiring fallen branches like they’re rare antiques on Bargain Hunt.
But scratch the bark and there’s something going on.
1. It’s analogue in a digital world
We live in a culture of optimisation. Everything must scale. Everything must convert. Even your morning walk is apparently a chance to biohack yourself while listening to a podcast about monetising your personality.
Stick Nation says:
Go outside.
Find something interesting.
That’ll do.
No funnel. No framework. No founder’s manifesto.
Just wood.
That’s quietly rebellious.
2. It reconnects us with being ten
Every one of us has picked up a stick and instantly upgraded it.
Sword.
Wizard staff.
Cricket bat.
Walking stick for no medical reason whatsoever.
Stick Nation isn’t about “the good old days.” It’s about remembering that imagination used to be free — and sufficient.
Turns out, that still works.
3. It’s radically inclusive
You don’t need credentials.
You don’t need followers.
You don’t even need a particularly impressive stick.
Entry fee: £0.00 and access to a tree.
In a world increasingly stratified by status and subscription, that’s oddly refreshing.
4. It’s joy without agenda
There’s no ESG white paper attached.
No “Five Leadership Lessons from a Stick.”
No panel event.
Just shared noticing.
And perhaps that’s why it works.
Because most online communities are built around outrage, ideology or aspiration. This one is built around appreciation.
That’s different.
The Third Half of It
The Third Half is about People. Planet. Progress.
Stick Nation accidentally ticks all three.
People – connection through something harmless and human.
Planet – appreciation of nature without monetising it.
Progress – proof that community doesn’t need to be angry to grow.
It’s not technological progress. It’s cultural progress.
The reminder that not everything meaningful has to be serious.
What This Really Says
I don’t think this is about sticks.
It’s about:
• Screen fatigue
• Algorithm exhaustion
• Wanting to touch something real
• Wanting to belong to something that isn’t furious
You can’t doom-scroll a stick.
You just hold it. Maybe admire the curve. Possibly rate it out of ten.
And move on with your day slightly lighter.
In business we’re told everything must scale to matter.
Stick Nation suggests something simpler.
Sometimes what scales is shared joy.
And sometimes the most radical act in a noisy world is to say:
“Look at this.”
Not everything has to be profound.
Sometimes it’s just a very good stick.