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.
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.
curiosity Curiosity as Catalyst Success in community-based businesses boils down to a simple, yet profound recipe: mix curiosity with creativity, let it simmer over time, and serve it up with a side of you becoming an indispensable resource.
Launch Time & Value Math for New Communities The worst thing you could do in the beginning is put a price on what you are building. Payment is friction between you and the people you serve.
