Summary

Communities are groups of people who keep coming together around what they care about. Build your community with people, not for them: spark the flame by pinpointing your people, doing something together, and getting people talking; stoke the fire through stories, identity, and participation; then pass the torch by creating and supporting leaders so the community thrives without you.

Key Takeaways

• Pay attention to who keeps showing up and use participation data plus conversations to understand their aspirations and find hand raisers.

Notes

Why build a community?

• Communities: groups of people who keep coming together around what they care about
• Most vibrant allow acting on ↑ together
• Build your community with people, not for them (create leaders)
• Social capital - Bowling Alone
• ”Build with”

1: Spark the Flame: Getting Together

1. Pinpoint Your People

• Pinpoint:
  1. Who do I want to get together?
  2. Why are we getting together?
• Who:
  1. Who is bringing the energy?
  2. Who will you stick with?
• Why:
  1. What do my people need more of? (eg. social accountability)
  2. What’s the change we desire?
  3. What’s the problem only we can solve together?
• Create a list + put out on socials (why you’d join)
• Types of communities:
  • Bridging: diverse, outward looking
  • Bonding: inward looking, reinforce homogeneous identities

2. Do Something Together

• First activity
  1. Make it purposeful + unique to group
  2. Make it participatory
  3. Make it recurring
• Treat your community as collaborators
• What’d be better in a group?
• Communicate your purpose explicitly

3. Get People Talking

• Create spaces where people can freely connect on their own time
• Components:
  1. Space (eg. online)
  2. Prompts
  3. Structure: ground rules, moderation
• Eg. discuss quotes

2: Stoke the Fire: Sticking Together

4. Attract New Folks

1. Tell your origin story
   1. Personal origin story
   2. The story of us
   3. The story of now (why join)

• Serve up your origin story

2. Share the recruiting responsibility

• Nudge active involvement: the more people who join, the more valuable and engaging it is for everyone

3. Turn it into natural shareable moments
4. Spotlight role models

5. Cultivate Your Identity

1. Equip people with badges (visual ID) to show their pride

• Localize, allow new badges to emerge

2. Codify signature rituals
3. Create a shared language
4. Give members a unique nickname
   • Eg. dead heads, barbs, ponies, lamps

6. Pay Attention to Who Keeps Showing Up

1. Collect participation data

• Dig into who and why. What are their aspirations?

2. Look for hand raisers

• Community customer research Qs*
• Crisis management*

3: Pass the Torch: Growing Together

7. Create More Leaders

• shift your mindset from “stoking the fire” to “passing the torch”
• Are the genuine in their passion and use it? Are they qualified?
• Design a process for feedback and review + don’t be afraid to “fire”
• If not qualified for leadership, offer a smaller role
• 3 questions:
  1. What does it mean to be a qualified leader in your community?
  2. How can you vet for genuine leaders?
  3. Whats your feedback process with leaders?

8. Supercharge Your Leaders

• Balance structure + freedom
• Map out roles
• Questions like:
  • What’s involved in organizing?
  • What’s the biggest headache?
  • What’s the biggest time suck?
  • What was it like hosting your first event?
  • How have you changed your planning since?
• Where do your leaders most need support, and how do you provide it?

9. Celebrate Together

• Various examples of celebratory experiences*

What’s Next for Your Community?

• Your #1 priority should be empowering other leaders so the community thrives without you