Increateable

We Live in a Lottery-Based Mental Economy

Your brain is buying lottery tickets all day long. Every scroll. Every notification. Every viral story about the 19-year-old dropout who built a billion-dollar company. You're being rewired to accept outliers as realistic opportunities. Why jump your bike off your house when you can do seven backflips while

Burned out on building community? Read this.

Most communities don’t fail because people stop caring. They fail because we were sold the wrong playbook. We were told that if we just found the right platform, nailed the perfect strategy, or added one more feature… community would magically appear. It won’t. Over the last 20 years,

strategy

The Long Tail of Community

After 20+ years of building communities and watching how people interact within them, I've noticed something that nobody really talks about. I call this phenomenon the long-tail of community.

IRL

The New Game is in the Sidechats

This week marks the 6-month anniversary of my favorite WhatsApp group. It all started when I met a few strangers for two hours at an event in Boston. Fast forward six months, and now I talk to them more than my local friends.

pop up community

Less is More: The Art of Using Creativity in Community Building

Community is about creativity—both for you as a builder and for the people who participate. Learn how to create openings for participation.

community

Step Out and Speak Up: Using the Real World as a Proving Ground for Your Community Skills

The greatest value I see in my social network is in small units of community.

The Myth of Scaling Communities: A Bills Mafia Case Study

Dilution, friends, is community death.

pop up community

The Power of Pop-Up Communities (You're Already a Fan)

Don't overcomplicate your community-building efforts. Just because some venture-backed start-up is charging $199/mo for a community, you can customize to infinity and beyond doesn't mean you need to use it.

book

Announcing My Upcoming Book: A Guide to Building Time-Bound Communities

Full disclosure: I've been working on a book to be released this fall on building time-bound communities.

audience

Know Your People: 5 Ways You Can Outcare the Competition

The key to building a successful internet business is truly understanding your audience. Whether you're building a community, launching a product, or offering a service, starting with your people gives you a significant competitive edge.

learning

The Post Mortem for Solopreneurs

A well-executed postmortem is your secret weapon toward great success, providing a structured way to capture both the successes and the learning moments, ensuring you always find the right path forward.

membership

Game On: Learning from the Biggest Digital Industry on the Planet

Remember those playground games, board game nights, or impromptu volleyball matches? They're all part of the gaming ecosystem, and they hold valuable lessons for building community.

process

The Process Signal (and why it should matter to you)

Whenever you join a new community, you're naturally drawn to the content and the people. But that's not the sauce. If you know what's what, you're really after the magic. The sauce. You want THE PROCESS.

membership

Building a Meaningful Community: Three Key Themes for Success with Your People

In today's digital age, communities have the power to bring people together, foster relationships, and create meaningful connections. But not all communities are successful at such a deeper level.

events

The In-Person Community Test

A real community needs more than just a virtual space; it needs real, tangible connections between people. Practice this skill IRL so you can be better online with your community work.

challenge

The Threshold Community Model: From Confusion to Clarity and Beyond

Plan Community Like You Play Games -- The Threshold Community Model is structured around challenges, a timeline, and stages. Each step is designed to channel the community’s initial energy into productive, goal-oriented actions.

systemic solutions

Don't Just Fix Problems, Solve Them for Good

One of the most overlooked secrets to substantial growth lies in eliminating unforced errors and mistakes.

The Transformative Power of Small Meetups: Lessons from a Boston Builders Gathering

For anyone organizing community events, this story isn't just mine; it's a testament to the impact that small, focused meetups can have on participants and communities at large.

people-first

People Signals

Instead of letting an algorithm dictate what your audience wants, why not listen to what they’re actually saying? Direct feedback is gold when it comes to shaping your content and community.

small groups

Problem Solving DNA

Community exercises that involve group problem-solving can create a deeper understanding and engagement among participants. When individuals come together to solve a problem, the diversity of perspectives leads to more innovative and comprehensive solutions.

problem

Reframing Problems with 5 Key Questions

Obsessed with details? Hold up! Diving too deep into individual needs might just eclipse the larger community goals you’re aiming for.

change

Change is Your Community's Superpower

What if I told you that change isn't just inevitable; it's actually a goldmine of opportunities waiting to be tapped?

Implementing Your Curiosity: A Step-by-Step Framework

Curiosity is the foundation of successful communities. Many people mistakenly believe that expertise is necessary, but in reality, passion and a willingness to explore and share information are what truly matter.

engagement

Riding the Energy Wave to Better Engagement

If you don't tune into your community's preferences, you're setting the stage for disengagement and dissatisfaction.

curiosity

Starting with WHY:Curiosity-Powered Community Building

Without a genuine spark of interest, the task of engaging with your community day in and day out can quickly become a heavy burden.