A broad definition of community is a group of people who share a common interest or goal and stay connected by a shared sense of identity.
In the world of tech startups, community can not be an afterthought. This is because product-led growth - a business development strategy where the product itself, enhanced by user experience and feedback, serves as the primary driver of customer acquisition, expansion, and retention - works exponentially better when propelled by a strong community.
It would help if you started a Minimum Viable Community (MVC) filled with beta testers, early adopters, and tech enthusiasts. Then, expand it slowly while focusing on conversations.
"We had grace. We had style. We had conversation. Not this...[mimics text message sound]. Art, films, books were all better. Originality mattered!" | The Merovingian
Take Merv's quote into consideration, and don't ruin it. :-)
Jokes aside, you need people to give you feedback, to talk about the product, and to connect with peers. Community means fuel for the co-creation process. When the users share their input and see it implemented in the product, they'll likely stick with you for the long run. They'll accept bugs, issues, malfunctions, or even downtime more easily when there is a community.
There are (probably) only three reasons why someone joins a product-based community:
- To solve a problem;
- To satisfy a need;
- To earn something;
Note: Belonging always follows value.
To cultivate a sense of belonging among people, the community must effectively address (1), (2), or (3). Moreover, nurturing relationships is crucial rather than focusing solely on transactions.
You must engage in as many discussions as possible when building a community. The goal is to continuously adapt your understanding to what your users want. You have to learn where and how you can provide value. What can they learn from each other, and what should they learn from you? Plus, what do they hate and love about your product?
You can follow a simple logic to put community into perspective:
- It is a product
- Thad does something
- For someone
- In order to
You should define (1), (2), (3), and (4) in conversations with your people. Come up with a first iteration and keep on refining it.
Note: Engagement is value-neutral. You could deliver less value with more engagement or more value with less engagement. At best, it's a vanity metric. At worst, it's a ticking time bomb. Be mindful and measure only what creates value.
Success is a consequence of people. For a startup, the essential people are the team that builds the product and the community that empowers them with information. The will to succeed is far less important than the will to prepare, which means the readiness to invest time, effort, and resources in planning, building, and strategizing. And there is no better way to start preparing than to create the community on day one.