#CustomerDiscovery #CommunityBuilding #Startup #ProductDevelopment
🌟 How to Build a Community Around Your Customer Discovery 🌟
Hey there, fellow founders! Have you ever wondered how to effectively build a community around your product? In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever to cut through the noise and connect with your potential users. As a multi-time funded startup founder with a background in the gaming space, I’ve had my fair share of successes and failures when it comes to community building. So, let’s dive into the why, the how, and the steps you can take to build a thriving community around your product.
**First About Me**
I’m a multi-time funded startup founder who built a tech company in the gaming space, with experience in building a community of 1000s of team leaders, and raising 1M+. While that company didn’t make it, the lessons I learned about the importance of a pipeline of feedback have been invaluable.
**Second Let’s Define Community**
Before we dive in, let’s define the different types of communities and focus on building a community of product around an early stage company.
1. Community of Interest – centered around a hobby or interest
2. Community of Practice – focused on professional interests
3. Community of Product – centered around support, suggestions, feedback, etc.
For our purposes, we’ll focus on building a community of product around an early stage company.
**Third Let’s Ask Ourselves the Question: Why Should I Build a Community Around a Product?**
With the overwhelming influx of automated cold outreach, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to connect with potential users. As founders, we often make the mistake of “build it and they will come,” only to realize that we’re scrambling to find users and gather feedback. This is where community building comes in. It provides a pipeline of people to talk to and build around in the early days.
**Now Onto a High-Level Guide:**
**Step 1. Identify Where Your Users Live**
– Understand the demographics of your users
– Find the platforms or communities where they are most active
– Create a group or community on those platforms for easy access and interaction
**Step 2. Join Relevant Communities to Find Early Users**
– Participate in discussions and provide value without directly promoting your product
– Look for intense and passionate users in these communities
– Build relationships and contribute to the community
**Step 3. Reach Out and Do Interviews**
– Be humble and non-spammy in your approach
– Request interviews to understand the needs and pain points of your potential users
– Conduct interviews over zoom or discord for more personalized interaction
**Step 4. Get Them Into Your Community Platform**
– Invite interviewees to join the community platform you’ve created
– Use Discord or other platforms to foster an organic group of early users
**Step 5. Keep People Engaged**
– Share relevant content and start discussions within the community
– Initiate activities to keep users engaged and interested in your product
**Step 6. Repeat Steps 2-5 Until You Feel Confident in Your Thesis**
– Keep connecting with potential users and gathering feedback
– Use the community to prepare for your product launch
**Step 7. Make Feedback and Bug Channels**
– Create channels for users to provide feedback, suggestions, and report bugs
– Encourage open communication and direct responses from the founder
By following these steps, you’ll have a group of engaged users ready to provide input for your product. Building a community around your customer discovery is essential for creating a product that truly meets the needs of your users.
And that’s it for now! I’ll be sharing more detailed guides on different aspects of community building. Feel free to reach out with any questions – I’m here to help! Let’s build thriving communities around our products together. 🚀🌟
Very informative..
Thanks for sharing 👍
What if you’re in the idea stage, and early development? I myself have a pioneering mind, so I don’t mind being the first in a group. But in today’s age where all the rage is how many people sign up, it feels like a catch 22. I do have a discord server, but this adds more complexity. More management. So, I use other platforms for now. I see Discord servers with all kinds of whistles and bells, but I don’t care much about that. Maybe expectations and experiences matter, likewise gender differences.