Members have different needs

Welcome to the Community Coach newsletter, a value packed read
for community builders.

This week I’ve been busy talking to a really diverse group of people looking to build communities (from podcasters, AI, SaaS businesses to online education and even an auto detailer teaching others how to start their own auto detailing businesses!).

One of their questions lands in my Q&A this week. Let’s go!

P.S - Congratulations to Rae Lambert and the team at River for raising a $1.6M pre-seed round! I wrote about their story in one of my newsletters a few months ago. Wishing them all the future success, love how they are helping others scale up their events.

In this newsletter…

📚 Community 101: Different members have different needs

👩🏻‍🏫 A story to motivate you when building community: pushing through the ups and downs with a new perspective

👋 Answering your questions: “How much time should I allocate to launching a new community and then managing it?”

Community 101: Member needs

There are different reasons why people join a community. It’s important to understand why they are joining, and ensure they are

a) in the right place, and
b) that you’re directing them exactly where they need to go to meet their needs

Feverbee covered the 4 main types of communities based on member needs in more detail a while back and I think it’s worth repeating here:

• Transactional Communities: These communities focus on specific tasks or solutions, where members seek and share technical help. The key is rapid resolution, which drives return visits when new needs arise. Think: Stack Overflow

• Interest-based Communities: Cater to those sharing a passion or hobby, encouraging long-term engagement through discussions and content related to shared interests. Think: Reese’s book club

• Goal-Oriented Communities: These communities are designed around achieving specific outcomes, such as fitness, educational or professional development, which supports members towards their goals. Think: Nike training club

• Identity-Based Communities: These communities, often private and invitation-based, center around building deep, personal relationships, where members share a strong sense of identity and belonging. Think: Soho House

Feeling the ups and downs of community building?
This story will help.

This week I attended a conference in Dubai. The main reason I went was to hear a few talks including with Dr Frederik G Pferdt (Google’s first Chief Innovation Evangelist).

The talk did not disappoint, but it was a story that he shared that really stood out for me as a community professional.

The story (that I believe derives from a Chinese fable) perfectly captures a key lesson for anyone building a community: the unpredictability of outcomes and the importance of not rushing to judgment. 

As community builders, we often face unexpected challenges or changes that can feel like setbacks, but this story illustrates why it’s crucial to take a step back and consider the bigger picture before jumping to conclusions.

Here’s the story:

There was a farmer whose horse ran away. 

That evening, all his neighbours came by to express their sympathy. “We’re so sorry your horse ran away. What bad luck!” they said. 

The farmer replied, “Maybe.” 

The next day, the horse returned, bringing seven wild horses with it. 

The neighbours excitedly exclaimed, “What great fortune! Now you have eight horses!” 

The farmer, again, simply said, “Maybe.”

The following day, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses and was thrown off, breaking his leg. 

The neighbours came back to express their condolences. “Oh, what bad luck,” they said. 

“Maybe,” said the farmer. 

The day after, the army came to conscript young men into service, but because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he was not taken. The neighbours returned, this time celebrating his good fortune. 

And again, the farmer replied, “Maybe.”

The moral of this story reminds us of the complexity of life’s events. We often rush to label situations as either good or bad, but life isn’t so black and white. It’s unpredictable, and what seems like a setback today might turn into a benefit tomorrow—or vice versa.

For those building communities, this story offers a crucial lesson: resist the urge to define outcomes too quickly. 

In the world of community building, changes in direction, setbacks, or unexpected outcomes may appear negative at first glance. 

A failed initiative or the departure of a key member might feel like a loss. But, just as with the farmer, time often reveals deeper truths. 

Perhaps a loss will lead to a stronger core of dedicated members. Or a challenging period might inspire creativity that wouldn’t have emerged otherwise.

Community building is full of uncertainty, and by embracing the unknown, we create space for growth, evolution, and long-term success.

The key is to remain flexible, open-minded, and to trust the process—even when we can’t see the full picture just yet. 

Sometimes, it’s the unpredictable twists that give rise to the most profound connections and opportunities for your community.

Answering your questions

“How much time should I allocate to launching a new community and then managing it?” 

Launching Your Community

I walk through helping clients successfully launch a community within 90 days, following a structured program that guides them through every critical step from inception to launch. This timeline has been proven effective with past clients achieving great results within this period.

Accelerated Launch: A few of my clients have managed to launch their communities in as little as one month. This faster timeline requires intense commitment, including daily efforts to define the community’s purpose, goals, and understanding member needs, along with setting up the community infrastructure. It can be done, but to do it well I’d say expect things to feel pretty intense!

Typical Timeline: Most clients comfortably launch their communities within 2-3 months. This period allows for thorough preparation, ensuring that all aspects of the community—from planning and development to member recruitment and initial engagement—are well-executed.

Managing Your Community

Day-to-Day Management time requirements: The daily operational time can vary significantly based on several factors:

• Community Scope: Whether you are building a global or local community can impact the time needed for management.

• Community Purpose: Some communities may require more frequent interaction and content updates, depending on their goals and activities.

• Available Resources: Having additional support, such as colleagues or a dedicated community manager (part-time or full-time), can help in reducing the day-to-day time commitment for community leaders.

• Your ongoing involvement matters: Regardless of the size or scope, all communities require ongoing nurturing. It’s crucial to maintain regular check-ins and ensure there are clear communication channels for members to reach out, especially for urgent matters.

• Transparency: Clearly communicate your active times within the community to set the right expectations.

• Community Setup and Moderation: The more robust your moderation tactics, onboarding process and community setup, you are going to reduce the time required to manage your community vs. one that hasn’t considered this. Do not expect to be able to fully automate managing your community - we are not there yet (maybe one day… but not yet!).

Overall I find that those who truly value the community that they are building are the least concerned about “how much time will this take me” because they see the value in spending the time.

Until next time,

Carmen
Community Coach

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