Vernal said this focus on nurturing community was key to getting a foothold in the product world. “It would be futile and foolhardy to try to compete with Microsoft and Google in a top-down way, to build a similar product and sell against them,” says Vernal. “Instead, they found a small group of really die-hard fans that carried the product with th... See more

1:10 - When starting a community: 1. community is for the community members. Not "your" community. It's the members'. 2. As a brand and community facilitator, it's important to highlight useful things from the community. Useful answers, tips & tricks, and workflows. Showcase. 3. Actively involve your community with testing new features. Invite ... See more

Since community members joined slowly and stuck around, there was a lot of trust and shared context in the group. Every community had a different way of working, so there was a fair amount of friction preventing users from jumping around or “surfing” from project to project.

Success here will come down to implementation details. The incentive structure, funding sources, size, goals, moderation approach, and community management philosophy of these networks will determine their long term viability as both businesses and communities. Whether coming at it from the angle of social media, brand, or content creator, building... See more