How Did Jordan Peterson Become So Successful?

This article does a good job of , at least in my estimation, summarizing the main factors of Peterson's success.

One additional factor I do think is a major reason so many young people find him interesting is because he synthesizes religious ideas in a modern evolutionary and scientific context to attempt to give meaning and purpose to life. This speaks to a lot of young people in post-modernist / post-religious society I think.

I don't necessarily agree with him on much, but I think the benefits of having meaning and purpose, and a social spiritual life are something most modern atheists tend to neglect, to their own and society's detriment.

I'd say he gained followers by publicly saying that which "can't be said publicly"...people value honest and raw communication over the scripting corporate PR non-sense most of hear day-in and day-out.

Even if it is something we disagree with, it is still refreshing to hear people speak honestly about their real opinions on whatever the topic happens to be.