Romain Fourel Opens Up About His App The Secret Society That Recently Launched In Riyadh

In 2017 Romain Fourel launched The Secret Society, a members only app that has amassed 100,000 members | Photo provided by The Secret Society

With success in several markets, this gateway technology will also launch in a new location every sixty days in 2025

The member’s only platform The Secret Society, started by Romain Fourel with success in Dubai, London, Bali, has just launched in Saudi Arabia. The name is unique and draws you in, to find out what’s so secret about it. “The name- was a no-brainer,” Fourel tells SEELE. “I’ve always been fascinated by how hype works—it’s a psychological effect, a group dynamic. Hype needs to feel genuine, though. If it looks fake, it dies.” He sees the app in the Saudi market as key, and will be turning its sights to other countries this year.

Fourel is no stranger to the lifestyle world. “I’ve always been drawn to creating experiences that make people feel special and valued,” he says. After getting his Masters in marketing and entrepreneurship management, the French-born professional worked for two years in France to put his academic theory to use. He then took a job at Abercrombie & Fitch, where he was general manager for six years in Dubai.

In that time, he segwayed into another door in fashion by becoming a model, doing social media shoots for food and beverage venues. “Abercrombie wasn’t just a brand—it was a lifestyle. My role as a model put me in the middle of the retail and F&B worlds, where I connected brands with people. That experience showed me the power of collaboration and how much brands value authentic, personal connections,” he says.

During his time at Abercrombie & Fitch, he was cooking up his own entrepreneurial endeavors, wanting to create a platform where models and influencers could easily connect with venues for social media collaborations he conceptualized and brought to life.

The Journey

It can be hard or scary to launch an idea so I stepped back to ask Fourel to describe his journey from where he started to launching The Secret Society, which he refers to as TSS. I was specifically interested in how he went from studying marketing and entrepreneurial management, to work for Abercrombie & Fitch, then to launching The Secret Society, by probing him on what skills and mindset are needed to launch such an app where he and his team bridges various aspects of the lifestyle world.

I’ve always liked to build products around a problem. My approach is disruptive—every product I’ve worked on has no blueprint, always something that stands out and is unheard of. TSS was built around the idea that marketing tools weren’t ROI-driven—where volume often meant money and price. I wanted to build a tool that was different and cost-friendly.

Photo provided by The Secret Society

I’ve always been very sensitive to and critical of marketing. I was fascinated by the war between Pepsi and Coca-Cola and frustrated by the lack of innovation in the industry. The landscape was filled with go-to solutions like promoters, while the social media space was evolving rapidly—but the tools weren’t keeping up.

At Abercrombie, I saw the power of lifestyle branding. F&B and retail worlds were constantly looking for collaborations. I was essentially a product of the modeling and retail industries, bridging the two worlds. Restaurants, nightclubs, and beach clubs often asked me to bring Abercrombie models to their venues. That’s when I realized the appetite for these types of connections.

It was after finishing his Masters in Burgundy, France that Fourel found himself in Dubai for 6 months in 2013, for a student role.

Dubai was expensive for a student, so I worked in F&B and modeling to support myself. It was a tough time, but it taught me how to navigate a new country, adapt to a different language, and survive in an emerging city. I worked day and night, took every opportunity, and left Dubai after six months with a lot of potential.

I returned to finish my studies, doing an exposé on social media and influence, and soon after, I came back to Dubai to work full-time in modeling. That’s when the influencer world began. Back then, being an influencer wasn’t recognized as a job. People were often asked, ‘Where are you going with your content?’ Modeling gave me a network and helped me understand brands and what they needed. I was also in a French TV show that aired daily for three months, and shot in Los Angeles when I was 20.

My education gave me frameworks, but I’ve always been self-taught. Marketing isn’t just something you study; it’s about having an eye for it. It’s about creating emotions, and not everyone is sensitive to that. I’ve been inspired by people like Casey Neistat, who showed that great storytelling doesn’t require the best equipment.

In 2017 Fourel birthed The Secret Society app, which he self-funded. The app creates a cost-effective monitored system for influencers and venues. “I worked multiple jobs for three years, saving money, and lived without weekends. I saw so many companies waste money unnecessarily. I kept my expenses lean and invested everything into the app. My girlfriend, friends, and I worked without salaries because we believed in the project. To me, the first year of starting a company is like having a newborn—you need to love it enough to make it work.” 

Before the app existed, I was already doing the job—connecting people using WhatsApp. I wasn’t making money from it; I just loved bringing people together. I’d always get asked, “Where should I go tonight?” and that’s when the idea of TSS started forming.

It became an obsession—I’d think about the app constantly, even on my morning runs. My (now) wife eventually told me, “Do it now or stop talking about it.” That pushed me to take the leap and contact developers and designers. 

Today he has a team of 60, collaborations with 1,000 establishments, and 100,000 members. He has also incorporated META, which essentially bridges the human connection with technology. In the early stages of the app, Fourel facilitated META through Instagram profile analyses, which focused in engagement levels, follower quality, and content appeal.

Growing followers isn’t easy and Fourel admits this. “We don’t do marketing or ads. Our growth has been entirely through word-of-mouth. From the beginning, we believed that if we provide quality, volume will take care of itself, so we focus on providing quality, and our members become our best advocates.”

Since launching in Riyadh in October 2024, TSS already has 4,000 members. “The market has been incredibly receptive. People in Saudi Arabia are highly driven, and there’s a genuine passion for creating quality content. The generosity and hospitality in The Kingdom are unmatched, and the quality of content is also extremely high because people take social media very seriously. There’s a huge appetite for new and exciting experiences.”

The main way he and his team measures success are through KPIs. So far, cities like Dubai, London, and Bali have proven trustworthy. “We measure success using KPIs like guest numbers, events, and partnerships with the best local brands. As long as our KPIs grow month-to-month, we know we’re on the right track,” he says.

The Middle East, London, and Bali aren’t the only cities on Fourel and his team’s radar. “We want TSS to be a global passport—one app, one world. Our mantra, “Do what you can’t,” drives us to constantly push boundaries and surprise our members. I want people to live by our mantra, because it’s not just about the app—it’s about inspiring both our members and our team to keep pushing boundaries and achieving the unexpected.” Looking ahead to the year, Fourel’s mission is simple: We plan to launch in a new location every 60 days, expand the app’s features, and introduce tools for influencers to monetize their influence.