Community Building

Workspace Context

Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.

Operating Contract

This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.

Build communities that turn members into believers and believers into advocates.

Scope

Covers

• Community strategy (goal, members, value exchange, movement thesis)
• Platform selection: home base + outposts (Discord, Slack, Circle, Discourse, Telegram, Twitter/X, Reddit, Farcaster)
• Channel architecture, onboarding, and activation
• Programming/rituals and ambassador/champions programs
• Governance, moderation, and crisis management
• Holder psychology and retention engineering (crypto/token communities)
• Social community building across Twitter/X, Reddit, Farcaster, forums
• Measurement and community health

When NOT to use

• You haven't defined ICP/positioning (use brand-messaging-and-positioning first)
• You want paid acquisition (ads/creative) rather than community
• You want to spam/scrape DMs or manipulate members
• You need customer support ops overhaul (ticketing/SLAs) more than community

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Community Philosophy

Great communities are built on three pillars:

1. Shared purpose — Members need a reason bigger than the product
2. Genuine connection — People stay for people, not features
3. Member empowerment — The best communities run themselves

Community vs Audience

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Core Frameworks

The Community Flywheel

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                             │
│   ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐             │
│   │  ATTRACT │───▶│ ACTIVATE │───▶│  ENGAGE  │             │
│   │ (Reach)  │    │ (Value)  │    │ (Habit)  │             │
│   └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └──────────┘             │
│        ▲                                │                   │
│        │          ┌──────────┐          │                   │
│        │          │ ADVOCATE │          │                   │
│        └──────────│ (Amplify)│◀─────────┘                   │
│                   └──────────┘                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Community Maturity Model

The 1-9-90 Rule

• 1% create content (Creators)
• 9% engage with content (Contributors)
• 90% consume content (Lurkers)

Goal: Move people up the engagement ladder, not force everyone to create.

Member Journey

Aware → Join → Lurk → First Post → Regular Contributor → Champion → Ambassador

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Inputs

Minimum required

• Product + category + ICP (who it's for)
• Primary community goal (pick 1): support, activation, retention, advocacy/UGC, product feedback, moving upmarket
• Target members (roles/seniority) and where they already gather
• Resources: owner, hours/week, budget, moderators/SMEs
• Existing assets: email list, social following, events, partners
• Constraints: compliance/privacy, brand voice, moderation risk tolerance

Missing-info strategy

• Ask up to 5 questions from references/INTAKE.md (3–5 at a time)
• Proceed with explicit assumptions if critical inputs missing; provide 2–3 options with tradeoffs

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Platform Selection

Platform Comparison

Platform Architecture

Discord (larger projects)

INFORMATION: #announcements #faq #roadmap #rules
COMMUNITY:   #general #price-talk #memes #introductions
ALPHA (role-gated): #whale-chat #og-lounge #team-updates
SUPPORT:     #help #report-scams #suggestions
VOICE:       General VC, AMA Stage

Telegram (token/crypto communities)

[Main Group]     — Public chat, price bot, welcome message, active mods
[Announcements]  — One-way official updates only
[Alpha/Holders]  — Token-gated, exclusive content, direct team access
[International]  — CN/KR/JP with local mods (if needed)

Essential Bots: Price bot, Buy bot (celebrate purchases), Holder verification, Anti-spam/scam, Welcome bot.

Social Platform Strategies

Twitter/X: Reach and real-time discussion. Twitter Spaces for live audio, threads for depth, quote tweets for community amplification.

Reddit: Long-form depth and discovery. Build a subreddit or participate in existing ones. SEO benefit from indexed discussions.

Farcaster: Crypto-native audience, frames for interactive content, native to web3 culture.

Forums (Discourse, etc.): Long-form async knowledge base, SEO-indexed, permanent resource for members.

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Workflow (8 Steps)

1) Intake + Pick Primary Job-to-be-Done

• Inputs: User prompt; references/INTAKE.md
• Actions: Confirm ICP, define primary goal, identify where community already gathers, list constraints
• Outputs: Context snapshot + assumptions/TBDs list
• Check: You can finish: "In 8–12 weeks, this community will _____ for _____, measured by _____."

2) Define the Movement + Value Exchange

• Inputs: Product POV, category beliefs, member motivations
• Actions: Write community thesis: worldview/philosophy, what you stand for, what you're "against." Define give/get value exchange.
• Outputs: Community thesis + value exchange
• Check: Thesis is non-generic (can't fit any random company); value exchange includes concrete benefits and contributions

3) Choose Community Model + Map Member Journey

• Inputs: Primary goal, member needs, resources
• Actions: Choose model (support, learning, networking, advocacy, co-creation). Map journey with "first win" moments per stage.
• Outputs: Community model + journey map + metrics
• Check: Each stage has a designed "first win" and a measurable signal

4) Go Where They Already Are (Home Base + Outposts)

• Inputs: Where members already are; moderation/capacity constraints
• Actions: Select home base for 6–12 months. Define outposts (social, events, partner spaces). Create influencer/social-graph shortlist.
• Outputs: Platform plan + outpost playbook + influencer shortlist
• Check: Every outpost has a value-first contribution plan and an owner

5) Seed the Community (Cohort, Onboarding, Content)

• Inputs: Platform plan; existing assets; member criteria
• Actions: Design initial seed cohort (25–100 members). Create onboarding flow, welcome messages, starter threads, seeding schedule. Draft outreach scripts.
• Outputs: Seeding plan + onboarding checklist + outreach scripts
• Check: The "empty room problem" is solved — content, prompts, and people lined up for week 1

Onboarding ritual (first 48 hours):

1. Welcome DM with "Start Here" guide
2. Prompt to post in #introductions
3. React to their intro post (human touch)
4. Share one quick win they can get from the community

6) Program Rituals + Events (4–8 Week Calendar)

• Inputs: Member journey; thesis; capacity
• Actions: Build recurring rituals (AMAs, office hours, show-and-tell, challenges). Mix staff-led and member-led moments.
• Outputs: Programming & rituals calendar + event templates

Weekly engagement calendar:

Daily loop: Morning greeting + poll → Midday content + news → Evening recap + tomorrow's preview.

7) Launch Ambassador/Champions Program (Optional, Recommended)

• Inputs: Early active members; desired scaled behaviors
• Actions: Define qualification criteria, responsibilities, recognition/perks, feedback loop. Keep lightweight (v1), ethical (no pay-for-spam).
• Outputs: Ambassador/champions program spec (v1)
• Check: Incentives align to desired behaviors (helpfulness, creation, referrals), not vanity metrics

Recognition system:

• Public shoutouts for helpful members
• Badges or roles for milestones
• Leaderboard or "Member of the Month"
• Early access to features or beta programs

8) Governance + Measurement + Quality Gate

• Inputs: Draft pack; references/CHECKLISTS.md; references/RUBRIC.md
• Actions: Define rules, moderation workflows, escalation paths. Create measurement plan + weekly ops cadence.
• Outputs: Final Community Building Pack

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Moderation & Governance

Community rules (keep to 5–7):

1. Be respectful — no harassment, hate speech, or personal attacks
2. Stay on topic — keep discussions relevant
3. No spam or self-promotion without permission
4. Share knowledge freely — help each other
5. Protect privacy — no sharing others' personal info
6. Report issues — use report function or DM mods

Enforcement ladder: Warning → Temporary mute → Permanent ban.

Moderator responsibilities: Daily check-in (15 min), respond to reports within 24h, escalate edge cases to community lead.

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Crisis Management (Especially for Token Communities)

FUD Response Levels

Crisis Response Template

TEAM STATEMENT: [Topic]
We're aware of [concern].

THE FACTS:
- [Fact 1]
- [Fact 2]

OUR RESPONSE: [What we're doing]
EVIDENCE: [Links to proof/data]

We remain committed to [mission]. Questions? We're here.

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Retention Tactics

General retention:

• Monthly digest email with top content
• Re-engagement campaign for inactive members (30-day lapse)
• Regular "bring a friend" referral moments

Token/holder community retention:

• Diamond hand cultivation: public commitments, holding anniversaries, "Day 1" badges
• Dip buying culture: celebrate dip buyers loudly; "sale" framing for price drops
• Multi-bag culture: "This AND that" — avoid forcing either/or decisions

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Key Metrics

Health signals:

• DAU/MAU <10% → trigger re-engagement campaign
• Top 10 members account for >80% of posts → run "new voices" initiative

Community Health Report Template

COMMUNITY HEALTH REPORT | Period: [Week/Month]

GROWTH:      Total Members [+/-X%] | New Joins | Departures
ENGAGEMENT:  Messages (7d) | Unique Chatters | Peak Activity | Score [X/10]
SENTIMENT:   Long-term Holders >30d [X%] | Toxicity Level [Low/Med/High]
MODERATION:  Bans | Warnings | Scam Attempts Blocked

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. [Action]  2. [Action]  3. [Action]

HEALTH SCORE: [X]/100

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Community-Led Growth (CLG) Quick Reference

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Anti-Patterns

• Build it and they will come — Communities require constant nurturing, especially early
• Metrics over meaning — Vanity metrics don't equal healthy community
• Over-engineering early — Start simple, add complexity as needed
• Ignoring lurkers — 90% of your community provides value by consuming
• Founder absence — Early communities need visible leadership
• Feature obsession — People join for people, not features
• Forced engagement — Authentic connection beats gamification
• Scaling too fast — Growth without engagement destroys community
• Neglecting moderation — One bad actor can poison the well
• Spam/DM blasts — Never auto-DM or manipulate members

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Outputs (Community Building Pack)

Produce in this order:

1. Context snapshot + assumptions/TBDs
2. Community thesis (movement/philosophy), target members, value exchange
3. Community model + member journey + success metrics
4. Platform plan (home base + outposts) + influencer/social-graph shortlist
5. 30/60/90 plan (seeding, onboarding, activation) + outreach scripts
6. Programming & rituals calendar (first 4–8 weeks)
7. Ambassador/champions program v1 (criteria, responsibilities, recognition)
8. Governance & moderation (rules, enforcement, escalation, safety)
9. Measurement plan + weekly ops cadence
10. Risks / Open questions / Next steps (always included)

Templates: references/TEMPLATES.md Expanded guidance: references/WORKFLOW.md

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Quality Gate (Required)

• Use references/CHECKLISTS.md and references/RUBRIC.md
• Always include: Risks, Open questions, Next steps

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Examples

Developer tool: "Use community-building. Product: observability SDK for TypeScript. ICP: senior full-stack engineers at startups. Goal: accelerate activation + word-of-mouth. Considering Discord. Resources: 1 community lead (8 hrs/week). Output: Community Building Pack with platform plan, 6-week programming calendar, ambassador program."

B2B SaaS moving upmarket: "We sell a team knowledge base to 200–2000 person companies. We want community-led growth to reduce enterprise perceived risk. Design home base + outpost plan, seed cohort strategy, and 30/60/90 plan with metrics."

Token/crypto community: "Building a Telegram community for our token launch. Need holder psychology framework, weekly engagement calendar, crisis management protocol, and launch checklist."

Social community: "We want to build a Twitter/X and Reddit presence for our developer tool community. Design a cross-platform social community strategy with engagement rituals and growth playbook."

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Supporting file: references/CHECKLISTS.md

Checklists

Use these to validate the Community Building Pack before finalizing.

A) Safety + trust checklist (required)

• No spammy tactics (auto-DMs, scraping, pay-for-posting, deceptive incentives)
• Code of conduct and enforcement ladder exist (warn → timeout → ban)
• Privacy norms are stated (recordings, screenshots, PII)
• Moderation capacity matches the chosen platform (open chat requires real coverage)

B) Goal clarity checklist

• Primary goal is explicit (picked 1) and timeboxed
• Success metric and 2–3 leading indicators are defined
• Community model matches the goal (support vs learning vs advocacy, etc.)

C) Movement + value exchange checklist

• Thesis/philosophy is stated in 1–2 sentences and is non-generic
• “Enemy/problem” is named (what you’re fighting)
• Member identity and “not for” are defined
• Value exchange is explicit (members get + members contribute)

D) Platform fit checklist (go where they are)

• Home base is chosen for a 6–12 month commitment
• Platform choice matches member habits + moderation/capacity constraints
• Outposts have an owner and a value-first contribution plan
• Onboarding flow is defined (first 10 minutes are designed)

E) Seeding + onboarding checklist

• Seed cohort criteria are defined (who is invited first)
• Week 1 is planned (starter threads, prompts, first ritual)
• Outreach scripts are ready (DM/email + partner/admin ask)
• “First win” is designed and achievable within 7 days

F) Programming + rituals checklist

• 4–8 week calendar exists with owners and goals
• At least one member-generated slot exists weekly
• Rituals reinforce the thesis and value exchange (not random content)
• Event/ritual templates exist (so running them is repeatable)

G) Ambassador/champions program checklist (if included)

• Purpose and desired behaviors are explicit
• Eligibility criteria are clear and fair
• Incentives are ethical and won’t drive spam
• Feedback loop and offboarding/enforcement exist

H) Measurement + operations checklist

• Weekly ops cadence exists (review agenda + owners)
• Decision rules exist (what triggers change/pause/platform shifts)
• Feedback themes loop into product/content decisions (at least monthly)

I) Finalization checklist

• Includes Risks, Open questions, Next steps
• Assumptions/TBDs are labeled
• Output is usable as-is (a teammate can execute without extra meetings)

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Supporting file: references/EXAMPLES.md

Examples (Community Building Pack)

These are intentionally brief. Use them as shape references, not as copy.

Example 1: Developer community (activation + word-of-mouth)

Context snapshot

• Product: Observability SDK for TypeScript
• ICP: senior full-stack engineers at 10–200 person SaaS
• Primary goal: activation/education
• Home base: Discord (with strict moderation + onboarding)
• Outposts: GitHub Discussions, Reddit threads (value-first), conference hallway track

Thesis (movement) “Make production observability boring again: fewer dashboards, more actionable signals.”

First win (7 days) Member ships first alert with the SDK and posts a screenshot + brief setup notes.

Rituals (first 4 weeks)

• Weekly: Office hours (staff-led), show-and-tell (member-led)
• Async: “Ship of the week” thread + “stuck?” thread

Ambassadors (v1) Champions are members who post 2+ helpful answers/month and 1 build example/quarter; perks are spotlight + early access.

Example 2: B2B SaaS community (moving upmarket)

Primary goal: create ubiquity and reduce perceived risk in enterprise evaluations.
Model: advocacy + learning (templates and benchmarks that spread in teams).

Ubiquity moves

• Publish a benchmark template that teams can run internally
• Seed champions in target accounts via invite-only roundtables
• Showcase credible signals (integrations, case studies, member projects)

Boundary example: “community as a growth hack”

Request: “Auto-DM everyone on LinkedIn, buy 5k members, and call it community.”
Response: refuse spam/manipulation; recommend a value exchange + governance plan or alternative channels.

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Supporting file: references/INTAKE.md

Intake (Community Building)

Ask up to 5 questions at a time. If the user can’t answer, proceed with explicit assumptions and label them.

A) Context + audience

1. What is the product and category (1–2 sentences)? Who is it for (ICP/roles/seniority)?
2. What stage are you at? (pre-launch / early / scaling / enterprise)
3. What is the primary business goal for community? (pick 1)
   • Support deflection
   • Activation/education
   • Retention/engagement
   • Advocacy/UGC/referrals
   • Product feedback/co-creation
   • Moving upmarket / enterprise credibility

B) Members + “where they already are”

1. Who are the target members? (job titles, seniority, geography, language)
2. Where do they already gather today? (Slack groups, Discords, Reddit, LinkedIn/Twitter, meetups, forums, conferences)
3. What existing communities do you respect (even if you don’t own them)?

C) Value exchange + movement

1. What does a member want most? (answers, belonging, status, career growth, peers, templates, opportunities)
2. What can members contribute? (questions, answers, builds, examples, templates, referrals, feedback)
3. What do you believe that the “status quo” gets wrong in your category? (seed for a movement/philosophy)

D) Platform + operating constraints

1. Preferred platforms (or hard constraints): Discord, Slack, Circle, Discourse, GitHub, in-person, newsletter, etc.
2. Who owns the community day-to-day? How many hours/week? Any SMEs/moderators available?
3. Moderation/safety constraints: harassment risk, minors, sensitive topics, legal/compliance requirements.
4. Brand voice constraints: taboo words, tone, what you won’t do.

E) Assets + distribution

1. What distribution do you already have? (email list size, social reach, customers, partners, events)
2. Any existing champions or power users? Who are they (roughly)?
3. Any planned launches or moments to anchor community activation? (conference, product launch, PR, new feature)

F) Success + measurement

1. Timebox to show impact (e.g., 6 weeks, 90 days)?
2. What metrics can you measure today (even imperfectly)? (signups, activation, retention, referrals, support tickets, pipeline)
3. What would make you stop or pivot the community effort?

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Supporting file: references/RUBRIC.md

Rubric (1–5)

Score the Community Building Pack. A “ship-ready” pack is typically ≥ 22/30 with no category below 3.

1) Goal + audience fit (1–5)

• 1: Goal/ICP are unclear; no timebox or metric.
• 3: Goal/ICP/timebox/metrics exist; some gaps remain.
• 5: Primary goal is crisp, timeboxed, and measurable; ICP and member criteria are explicit.

2) Movement + value exchange strength (1–5)

• 1: Generic positioning; unclear why anyone joins.
• 3: Thesis exists; value exchange is partially defined.
• 5: Strong, non-generic thesis with clear identity and explicit give/get exchange.

3) Platform strategy realism (1–5)

• 1: Platform chosen by preference/trend; no outpost plan.
• 3: Home base exists; outposts are listed.
• 5: “Go where they are” approach with owners, onboarding flow, and a feasible home base + outposts plan.

4) Launch + programming executability (1–5)

• 1: Vague launch; no calendar or owners.
• 3: Basic 30/60/90 and calendar exist.
• 5: Concrete seeding plan + scripts + 4–8 week rituals calendar with goals, owners, and member-generated content.

5) Governance + safety (1–5)

• 1: No moderation plan; unsafe/unscalable.
• 3: Rules exist; enforcement is light.
• 5: Clear conduct, privacy norms, escalation ladder, and moderation capacity matched to platform.

6) Measurement + operating cadence (1–5)

• 1: No metrics; no review loop.
• 3: Metrics exist; cadence is basic.
• 5: Metrics by journey stage + weekly ops cadence + decision rules and product/feedback loop.

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Supporting file: references/SOURCE_SUMMARY.md

Source Summary (Refound/Lenny → Skill Pack)

Source: sources/refound/raw/community-building/SKILL.md

What was preserved (core insights → executable rules)

1) Ubiquity enables moving upmarket (Camille Ricketts)

• Insight preserved: Community-led growth can create ubiquity and de-risk enterprise adoption.
• Rule in this pack: If “moving upmarket” is the goal, design for ubiquity (champions, shareable artifacts, credible signals).
• Where implemented: references/WORKFLOW.md (“Ubiquity → enterprise de-risking”) + SKILL workflow step 3/8.

2) Go where the community already lives (Claire Butler)

• Insight preserved: Find where the community already gathers and map influence patterns.
• Rule in this pack: Choose a home base after mapping where members already are; maintain outposts and an influencer shortlist.
• Where implemented: SKILL workflow step 4 + references/TEMPLATES.md (platform + influencer tables).

3) Community as a support layer and distribution amplifier (Elena Verna)

• Insight preserved: In emerging categories, community helps users explore capabilities and amplifies word-of-mouth.
• Rule in this pack: Default to peer examples + help rituals (show-and-tell, office hours) when categories are new/complex.
• Where implemented: references/WORKFLOW.md (“Emerging-category support layer”) + SKILL workflow steps 5–6.

4) Build a movement, not just a product group (Matt Mullenweg)

• Insight preserved: Strong communities are built around philosophy/worldview.
• Rule in this pack: Every community needs a thesis (movement), identity, and “enemy/problem.”
• Where implemented: SKILL workflow step 2 + references/CHECKLISTS.md (movement checklist).

5) Provide genuine value in existing communities (Meltem Kuran)

• Insight preserved: Early growth comes from helping in places where people are actively seeking answers.
• Rule in this pack: Value-first contributions in outposts; avoid spam; convert repeated questions into starter resources.
• Where implemented: references/WORKFLOW.md (“Value-first in existing communities”) + SKILL workflow step 4.

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Supporting file: references/TEMPLATES.md

Templates (Community Building Pack)

Copy/paste these templates into your output (or into files) and fill them in.

1) Context snapshot

Product:
Category:
ICP / target members:
Primary goal (pick 1):
Timebox:
Primary success metric:
Secondary metrics (2–3):
Current state: (existing community? channels? baseline activity?)
Constraints: (capacity, compliance/privacy, moderation risk, brand voice)
Resources: (owner, hours/week, SMEs, moderators, budget)
Where members already are:
Assumptions / TBDs:

2) Community thesis + value exchange

Movement / philosophy (1–2 sentences):
Enemy/problem we’re fighting:
Member identity: (“people who…”)
Who this is NOT for:
Value exchange:

• Members get: (ranked 3–5)
• Members contribute: (ranked 3–5)
  Proof/credibility we can offer: (examples, builds, case studies, SMEs, customers)

3) Community model + member journey

Primary model: (support / learning / networking / advocacy / co-creation)
Secondary model (optional):

Member journey map

4) Platform plan (home base + outposts)

Home base (commit 6–12 months):
Why this platform fits members + team capacity:
Information architecture: (channels/categories)
Onboarding flow: (what happens in the first 10 minutes)

Outposts

5) Influencer / social graph shortlist

6) 30/60/90 plan (launch + growth)

North star for first 90 days:

7) Outreach scripts (seed cohort)

Invite message (DM/email):
Public post:
Partner/community admin ask:
Follow-up (if no reply):

8) Programming & rituals calendar (4–8 weeks)

9) Event / ritual template

Name:
Goal:
Who it’s for:
Agenda (30–60 min):
Prompts/questions:
Host responsibilities:
Follow-up: (summary, artifacts, CTA)

10) Ambassador / champions program (v1)

Purpose (behavior to scale):
Eligibility criteria:
Responsibilities:
Perks/recognition:
How to nominate/apply:
Feedback loop: (how champions report issues/ideas)
Offboarding / enforcement:

11) Governance + moderation

Code of conduct (short):
Rules (“do / don’t”):
Moderation roles:
Escalation path: (what happens when…)
Safety & privacy: (PII, screenshots, recordings, minors, doxxing)
Enforcement ladder: (warn → timeout → ban)

12) Measurement plan + weekly ops cadence

Primary success metric:
Leading indicators:
Dashboard inputs available:
Weekly review agenda (30 min):

1. Activity + health signals
2. Member feedback themes
3. Upcoming programming + staffing
4. Experiments to run next week
5. Risks/safety issues Decision rules: (what triggers changes, pauses, or platform shifts)

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Supporting file: references/WORKFLOW.md

Workflow Notes (Community Building)

This file expands the SKILL workflow with decision rules and default moves that keep the output executable.

1) Default deliverable shape

Unless the user requests otherwise, produce a Community Building Pack with:

• A clear primary goal (pick 1) and a 30/60/90 plan
• A home base + outposts plan (go where members already are)
• A 4–8 week programming calendar with rituals
• A lightweight ambassador/champions program (optional)
• Governance + measurement cadence

If the user only wants a quick start, produce:

• 2-week seeding plan + 2-week programming calendar
• Home base setup + onboarding flow

2) Community goal → model mapping (pick one primary)

Use this mapping to avoid trying to do everything:

• Support deflection: support/community forum + “answer engine” rituals (office hours, troubleshooting threads)
• Activation/education: learning community (cohorts, workshops, show-and-tell)
• Retention/engagement: identity + rituals + peer-to-peer networking
• Advocacy/UGC/referrals: champions program + showcases + recognition systems
• Product feedback/co-creation: beta circles, RFCs, structured feedback rituals
• Moving upmarket: credibility movement + internal champions + ubiquity in the category

3) Movement rule (Matt Mullenweg)

Don’t build “a chat room for a product.” Build a movement:

• Define a worldview/philosophy (what you believe).
• Name the enemy (the problem or status quo you oppose).
• Define member identity (who belongs).
• Provide a “belief ladder” (what members come to believe over time).

If you can’t write a thesis in 2 sentences, your community positioning is not ready.

4) Go-where-they-are rule (Claire Butler)

Platform selection is a downstream choice. First:

• List the top 5 places members already gather.
• Identify 10–25 “nodes” (influencers, community admins, high-trust connectors).
• Decide whether you need a home base now or can start with outposts first.

Default: pick one home base, but maintain 2–4 outposts for discovery and routing.

5) Emerging-category support layer (Elena Verna)

If the category is new or confusing, community must provide:

• Peer examples (“show what you built”)
• Help and troubleshooting
• A shared language and norms

Default rituals:

• Weekly show-and-tell
• Monthly AMA with a respected practitioner
• “Getting started” office hours

6) Value-first in existing communities (Meltem Kuran)

If you’re contributing in other communities:

• Provide genuine answers, templates, or help.
• Avoid drive-by links. Route back only when clearly helpful.
• Track repeated questions and convert them into starter resources in your home base.

Anti-pattern: “growth hacks” that burn trust.

7) Ubiquity → enterprise de-risking (Camille Ricketts)

If “moving upmarket” is the goal, design for ubiquity:

• Seed champions inside target accounts/roles.
• Create shareable artifacts (templates, benchmarks, playbooks) that spread in teams.
• Highlight credible signals (case studies, integrations, community projects).

Good-enough proxy metrics:

• Number of champion accounts
• Mentions/share-of-voice in target spaces
• Repeat attendance by senior roles

8) Programming design: bias to member-generated content

A healthy community cannot be 100% staff-led. Default weekly mix (adapt to capacity):

• 1 staff-led ritual (office hours / AMA)
• 1 member-led slot (show-and-tell / lightning talks)
• 2–3 async prompts (weekly thread, wins, questions)

Make it easy to contribute:

• Provide prompts, templates, and “starter roles” (welcome squad, curators).

9) Ambassador/champions program: keep it ethical and lightweight

Incentives should reward helpfulness and creation, not spam:

• Recognition (spotlight, badges, access)
• Opportunities (speaking slots, early access, co-marketing)
• Light perks (swag, credits) only if they don’t distort behavior

Minimum viable program:

• Clear eligibility criteria
• Simple responsibilities
• Monthly check-in
• Offboarding and enforcement

10) Governance + safety defaults

At minimum, define:

• Code of conduct
• What content is not allowed
• Moderator roles and escalation ladder
• Privacy norms (recordings, screenshots, PII)

If moderation capacity is near-zero, prefer lower-risk formats (newsletter + events) over open chat.

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Supporting file: skillpack.json

{
  "authors": [
    "liqiongyu"
  ],
  "category": "Marketing",
  "contributors": [],
  "origin": "refound",
  "schema_version": 1,
  "skill_slug": "community-building",
  "upstream": {
    "page_url": "https://refoundai.com/lenny-skills/s/community-building",
    "skill_md_url": "https://refoundai.com/skills/community-building/SKILL.md"
  },
  "version": "0.1.0"
}