Community is Building to Learn
Stop sweating the place setting. Make sure the right people know how to find you and join. With the right people, what you are building will get better over time!
Is the fear of not being perfect stopping you from being an entrepreneur?
This is really common, especially for new community builders. I say "new" because more experienced community builders have long left the dream of perfection behind.
Not because they don't care. Because they know that perfection isn't the point.
People join for people, whether that's just YOU at the start or the others inside your space.
Stop sweating the place setting. Make sure the right people know how to find you and join.
With the right people, what you are building will get better over time!
The Myth of Perfect Preparation
Building as you has historically been viewed negatively as a sign of being unprepared.
Today, I think it's a compliment.
Even curated experiences hold this to be true. Take a massive conference, for instance – it's not the meticulously planned schedule that leaves a lasting impression, or the buffet.
It's the unexpected connections, the serendipitous encounters...this is what you take from that weekend away.
The Building is The Message
The act of building, of putting something out there even when it's not polished, is a strong signal to those who are excited about joining your journey.
The value of a community isn’t just in its existence; it's in the process of its creation.
Arguably, the messier and more organic this process, the more authentic and engaging the community becomes.
Building With, not For
True community value lies in the iterations, in the reps.
When members are part of this journey, they don't just witness growth; they contribute to it. Feedback is built in, not thrown away. Good questions change opinions (and trajectories), instead of being ignored.
This collective building process is what makes a community vibrant and dynamic.
How to Start Small: The Group Text Challenge
If you're still holding back, here's an easy way to break through that fear.
1️⃣ Begin with something you’re passionate about. Maybe there's a topic you're constantly reading up on. Use this as a springboard.
2️⃣ Craft a simple message about how you're really into TOPIC and send it to 5-10 friends via text. Encourage them to reply if they're interested in learning more.
3️⃣ When they write back, create the group, add them, and ask them what the want to know.
4️⃣ Get your first weekly update to them in a few days, and be sure to answer at least one question. Oh, and end with a question – "What did you think?!"
Just like that, you've created your first community through a text group. 💥
It’s simple, direct, and incredibly effective.
The Final Word: Just Start Building
Don't wait for the perfect moment or the perfect plan. Start now.
Find what excites you and share it. Invite others to join you on this explorative journey.
The messiness, the learning, the evolving – that's where the real magic of community building lies.
Your first community might just be a text group, but it's a beginning, and every great journey starts with that first step.