Building a respectful creative community online

Most founders mistake an audience for a community. They chase followers, engagement, and reach, hoping it will turn into loyalty. But audiences listen. Communities participate. And participation can’t be bought. It has to be earned. Every strong community starts small, a circle of people who believe what you believe and grow with you over time. I’ve learned there are no shortcuts to this. There are only principles,  things that work quietly, consistently, and they build over time. Here’s what I’ve seen hold true: 𝟭. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵. The depth of your relationships matters more than the size of your audience. Start small, respond personally, and build from the inside out. The first ten people who truly believe in you are worth more than the next thousand who barely notice. 𝟮. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸. Share insights, offer help, connect people, without expecting anything back. People remember generosity. Communities grow fastest around those who give without an agenda. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹. If you start selling to your community, you’ve already lost it. Share what you’re genuinely good at, and if there is a need, they will reach out. Keep the community separate. I’ve seen people building the community to sell, and people will realize that’s what you were after from the beginning, and they feel betrayed and leave. Don’t be that person. 𝟰. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. Ask questions. Comment thoughtfully. Reply to messages. Show people you care about their world, not just your own. When people feel seen, they stay. 𝟱. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. Show up every day, even when it’s quiet. Comment on their content. Send a message of appreciation. Post something valuable. Consistency signals care, and care builds belonging. 𝟲. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆. Talk about what you’re learning, the wins and the failures. People connect more deeply with honesty than perfection. Transparency builds credibility faster than anything else. 𝟳. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁 Invite your community into the process. Ask for advice, ideas, or feedback. People who help you build become part of your story. 𝟴. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 People don’t gather around content. They gather around conviction. Show them what you stand for, and stand for it long enough for them to believe you mean it. Building a community takes time, generosity, and consistency. The formula is simple but hard to live by: Serve first. Stay consistent. Stay human.

What it really takes to run a volunteer organization in games People often ask how to start and sustain a volunteer initiative in our industry. I love seeing new community projects emerge, especially from folks inspired to help others in games. If you are thinking about doing this, here is the honest version of what it takes. 1. Time and persistence This work does not fit neatly into spare moments. I still spend 10 to 20 hours a week on ASGC, mostly nights and weekends, with full support from my family. If your job and loved ones come first, your free time becomes your building time. 2. Writing and organization High volume communication requires structure. Dozens of posts, updates, and resources each month only happen with systems and practice. Clarity is a skill you build over time. 3. Communication at scale When messages number in the thousands each week, you need processes to keep up while staying human. Relationships with other organizations matter just as much as one on one conversations. 4. Protecting your values and brand Set boundaries early. Decide what you will and will not allow. As you grow, people will approach you with mixed motives. Stay open hearted but firm. 5. Strength of character Not everyone will understand or support what you are building. Some criticism will be unfair or personal. As long as your family, employer, and community understand your intent, stay focused on the mission. 6. Showing up in person Online work is powerful, but in person presence builds trust in a different way. When people are excited to meet you, that moment matters. Consistency builds credibility. 7. Continuous iteration There will always be more ideas than capacity. Create, measure, refine, and sometimes remove. If you cannot explain the impact, reconsider the effort. 8. Clear and memorable identity Branding is not vanity. It helps people recognize, remember, and trust what you stand for. A consistent voice and look make a volunteer effort feel real and reliable. 9. Trusting others You cannot scale alone. Empowering volunteers can feel uncomfortable at first, but it is the only way to grow beyond a one person project. 10. Taking thoughtful risks At some point you must stand for something. Playing it completely safe limits impact. A clear voice attracts the right people. 11. Measuring what matters Good intentions are not enough. Track outcomes, share results, and be transparent. Data builds trust and helps you improve. 12. Caring about how people feel Metrics tell you what is happening. Listening tells you how it feels. A healthy community needs both performance and empathy. 13. Balancing openness and safety Let people express hard truths while protecting others from harm. Clear guidelines and consistent moderation are essential. 14. Service first The work is not about recognition. It is about helping people in games have better careers and better lives. When you lose sight of that, it shows.

Trying to engage everybody doesn't work. It sounds counterintuitive in our connection-obsessed world, but trying to engage everyone in a network equally wears us down. Enter the Three Circles Model of Engagement, which recognises something we've all felt but rarely named: participation naturally flows in layers, and engagement isn't static. People move between circles as life changes, capacity shifts, and interests evolve. Instead of fighting this natural flow, we need to design for it. 🔥 The Stewards (inner circle): Deeply committed people who tend to the whole community - the firekeepers, guardians, and systems thinkers who hold the collective vision. 🌐 The Co-Creators (middle circle): Active participants who dive deep for seasons - they are working group members, project leads, the folks showing up consistently to build something meaningful together. 💫 The Friends (outer circle): People staying lightly connected - event attendees, newsletter readers, casual supporters who benefit and contribute in their own rhythms. Magic happens when we make these roles explicit and create clear pathways for movement between them. No guilt when someone steps back. No barriers when they want to step up. Just honest acknowledgment of different ways to belong and contribute. This made me think of one of my favourite Priya Parker principles around "generous exclusion" - thoughtfully choosing who to include (and exclude) to help activate and fulfill a gathering's #purpose. Both frameworks recognise that trying to include everyone equally dilutes the thing we're trying to create. The Three Circles Model extends this wisdom from individual gatherings to ongoing community life - showing us how to design for natural rhythms of engagement while maintaining the integrity of shared purpose. It's about #networkweaving and #systemschange that honours the beautiful complexity of how humans actually show up in relationship. For anyone building or weaving networks, this framework offers practical scaffolding: be transparent about engagement options, create clear agreements around reciprocity and power, and embrace the seasonal nature of involvement. H/t Fabian Pfortmüller, Erin Dixon, Sita Magnuson, and Michel Bachmann for the super valuable work you're doing in this space. I'll share their Community Weaving Framework below (of which the circles model is a part)... #ParticipatoryDesign #RelationalInfrastructure #ForesightNetworks Design Futures Aotearoa Jade Tang-Taylor Cheryl Doig Alice Dimond Howard Lange Abi Nokes Cat Zuzarte Tully Eman Ebed Alkadi

Big brands have a lot to learn about building community from this small East London shop. If you follow me you know I’m obsessed with pinpointing the places, moments and margins where culture appears, often outside the mainstream. Waste! is an independent store in Hackney specialising in handmade, self-published and DIY artist products that also serves as a meetup for makers and fans of the niche and novel. Big brands can spend millions chasing community. Yet genuine bonds form in the unlikeliest corners. By giving people a place to belong and a stake in the story, you can create evangelists rather than consumers. Here’s some of the playbook: → Look beyond the obvious Which subculture have you never visited? Find the one that aligns with your brand values and surprise them with an IRL activation made just for them. → Host micro-experiences Think smaller than a giant pop-up. Small scale means deeper conversations, stronger friendships and stories that spread far beyond the room. → Invite people behind the scenes Jack and Roydon modelled the shop on their childhood bedrooms. Everything feels handpicked and personal. → Celebrate genuine connections At Waste! customers aren’t just buying things. They swap ideas, share projects and spark new collaborations. Create spaces online or offline where people can connect, chill and feel like insiders. → Reinvest in your community Every penny from sales goes back into buying more stock from friends and local artists. That reinvestment shows you care about real people not just profit margins. → Turn every interaction into a collectible moment Limited-edition patches, secret passwords, custom playlists or tiny zines tie physical mementos to emotional experiences. Superfans will wear, share and trade these badges of honour. → Measure passion not just reach Track repeat attendees, social shout-outs from community insiders and user-generated content. A hundred truly engaged superfans create more long-term value than ten thousand casual followers. Sometimes the best way to build real community is the scrappy, DIY, heartfelt route ✌️💚

Since 2017, I have been part of different communities and also managing my own. In Lebanon, I co-led a community of developers and tech professionals that started as a Meta-affiliated group, grew to more than 7000 members, and later continued under the name TechCircle. Across this journey, we organized more than 56 activities — from the first Facebook Tech Week in Lebanon to TechCrunch MENA, international hackathons, masterclasses, panels, and tech talks. I am often approached by people who want to start their own communities, seeking advice from almost a decade of experience in the space. Here are my two cents: 🔹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. Communities thrive when there are no hidden agendas. If you genuinely care, the process becomes rewarding in itself and members feel that authenticity. 🔹𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. I co-led this community with Salah Awad, my husband, and we treated it as an equal partnership. We split responsibilities based on our strengths and complemented one another’s skills, which allowed us to sustain the effort over years. Beyond the practical side, it also helped challenge stereotypes around women in tech. Having a visible woman leader, supported by her partner, created space for more women to join. By 2019, 37% of our members were women. 🔹𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁. Leaders need credibility to set rules, foster respectful communication, and build meaningful partnerships. Members should see you as mentors, at least in some areas, to trust the direction you set. 🔹𝗕𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. For a community to stay alive, every member should feel valued and part of the journey. This went beyond participation — we aimed for inclusivity when shaping the roadmap of activities themselves. By listening to different needs and making sure the activities reflected the diversity of the community, members could engage in ways that mattered to them and feel that their contribution truly counted. 🔹𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Some of the most powerful outcomes came from simple networking. Many members found opportunities, collaborations, and lasting connections by meeting peers who shared their interests. Community leadership is demanding, but when guided by care, inclusiveness, and credibility, it becomes one of the most rewarding ways to create real impact. #community #impact #tech #technology

Community is necessary, but the hype cycle will make you feel like community building is easy and the solution for every problem. I talk to brands all the time who want community but don't look at it as the long-term initiative it is. They don't see all the moving pieces that will drain your time, your energy, and your resources. That's why I've built out this Community Readiness Guide. It's a self-check for anyone thinking about building community. 1. Why Do You Really Want to Build a Community? - Is this coming from a place of service, connection, curiosity—or pressure to “build something”? - Are you craving connection yourself, or do you see a genuine gap for others? - Could your goal be met through something simpler—like content, events, or a group chat? 2. Who Are You Gathering—and Why? - Who are the people you feel drawn to connect? Be as specific as possible. - What unites them? A shared experience, identity, aspiration, or challenge? - What will they get out of coming together with each other (not just with you)? 3. Are You Willing to Build With Them, Not Just For Them? - Will you involve others in shaping what this becomes? - Are you open to your original idea shifting as people show up with their needs? - Do you value co-creation, or are you looking to lead from the front? 4. Do You Have the Time, Energy, and Patience to Sustain This? - Community takes time to build—especially trust and engagement. Are you ready for the long game? - How will you show up consistently without burning out or resenting the work? - What boundaries will you need to protect your energy? 5. What Does Success Actually Look Like for You? - What would make this feel worth it? - Is it a certain number of people? A vibe? A deeper sense of purpose? - What are you not willing to compromise on? 6. Are You Ready for the Emotional Labor of Holding Space? - Are you comfortable with silence, slow growth, and invisible impact? - Can you hold space for different opinions, needs, and personalities? - What support do you need to stay grounded as a community builder, not just a content creator? 7. Gut Check - If you built this community and no one “important” noticed, would it still feel meaningful to you? Take the self-check and let me know if this helped you realize whether building a community is right for your needs.

Legal is often viewed as the department of NO. I spoke to a GC recently who said, “I want to be viewed as someone who says YES.” But what does that look like? Because it’s not just a default “yes” - it’s more of a “yes, and let’s think about how.” And that starts with how you receive new ideas. In any team, the best ideas don’t always come fully formed. Sometimes they start off unconventional or rough around the edges, but with the right approach, those ideas can spark something great. In my experience, even the most offbeat suggestions deserve attention. By encouraging open sharing and giving constructive feedback, we create an environment where creativity thrives—and where people feel safe to contribute without fear of being shut down. Here’s how I try to approach this process: 👏🏼 Acknowledge the effort – Sharing ideas takes courage, so always show appreciation for the contribution. 🧐 Dig deeper – Ask questions to understand the thinking behind the idea and see if there’s potential to refine or build on. 💬 Provide constructive feedback – Look for the potential before pointing out challenges and offering suggestions for further exploration. 🔀 Explore alternatives – Is there a core concept that can develop in a different direction? 🙌🏼 If it’s a great idea, run with it. At Paragon, some of our best ideas started as casual suggestions that we pushed further, or things we initially didn’t think would work but found a way to build on. We want to create a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas, even when they don’t have all the answers yet.

If you are a brand or creator planning to grow your own community, save this post for your next brand strategy session – Follower counts are overrated. What truly matters for your brand is a community that talks back. In the last 5+ years of building my personal brand along with Like Mind Tribe, I’ve learned this the hard (and beautiful) way. We often chase vanity metrics, namely likes, views, followers. But the brands that actually grow focus on: + trust + conversations + creating spaces that people want to return to My top 3 learnings about community building that most people ignore are👇 1/ Stop broadcasting. Start involving. Don’t just talk to your audience, co-create with them. Ask for their input. Let them choose the next product, workshop, or event theme. Your content should feel like a conversation, not a monologue. 2/ Trust builds in silence. Show up even when it’s quiet. The real connection begins when no one’s clapping. Be consistent with your presence. Show your progress, not just your polished wins. 3/ Give them a space beyond social media. DMs, Zoom rooms, meetups, or even a close friend's story list; These micro-interactions are where loyalty is built. If you want retention, give them a room where they feel seen. ———— I’ve met: → strangers who are now collaborators → community members who became accountability partners → even businesses that were born from casual coffee chats at our meetups That’s what happens when you value: Impact >>>>> Followers Whether you're building a brand or just starting out as a creator – Don’t just aim for attention. Create belonging. What’s the biggest challenge you face in building your community? Let’s tackle it together! #drishtiispeaks #community #branding #strategy #growth #socialmedia #content

Last week in an internal team workshop, I asked the group a question: “If you're not creating content on LinkedIn, why not?” They came up with ten reasons - everything from “I don’t know what to say,” to “I feel awkward putting myself out there,” to “I don’t want to seem like I’m bragging,” or “I’m not sure anyone would even find it interesting.” Here’s what stood out: Every reason started with “I.” It was all about them - their doubts and discomfort. So, I offered a small but effective shift that can take the pressure off and make showing up feel a whole lot easier: ✨ Make your community the star of your content ✨ What does that actually look like? It means shifting the spotlight from you to the people, stories, and moments that exist around you. And doing it in a way that still reflects your values, your expertise, and your perspective. Here are a few ways to do it: ✅ Highlight your team Share the work they’re doing behind the scenes. A project they’ve delivered, a promotion they’ve earned, or even a moment of growth you’ve witnessed. ✅ Celebrate your clients Tell the story of a client who’s achieving great things. It doesn’t have to be a case study just a quick insight into the work they’re doing, their success, or a shift they’ve made. You don’t need to name them unless appropriate. The focus is on their journey, not yours. ✅ Share industry insights Got back from a conference or event? Talk about what you learned, the speakers that stood out, the side coffee or wine chat, or the trends you're noticing. ✅ Acknowledge your network Say thank you. Recognise someone who gave you advice, introduced you to a new way of thinking, made a connection for you, brightened your day or helped you get unstuck. ✅ Feature your collaborators and community Whether it’s a podcast guest, a project partner, or someone in your community, spotlight them. Share what they do, what you learned from them, or how they’re making an impact. If you’re holding back from posting because it feels too self-promotional or too awkward - try this instead: 👉 Pick one person in your community and shine a light on them this week. 📷 Need some inspiration? One person who does this incredibly well and with absolute consistency is Jonathan Mamaril. Jonathan’s approach to content on LinkedIn is a standout example of what it means to shine the light on others. Whether he’s actively bringing people into a conversation, featuring a podcast guest, spotlighting community member, acknowledging a collaborator, or celebrating someone in his broader network, his posts are thoughtful, intentional, and generous. It’s inclusive. It’s community-focused. And it's a great reminder that sometimes the best way to show who you are is to lift up the people around you. #linkedin #community #locallink

After moderating three townhalls at PTTOW! Next! around live events, fandom, and brand collabs here's some industry gold from the best in the business. #1 🛑 STOP: Starting Every Conversation with KPIs If your first question about any brand collaboration or experiential activation is "what's the ROI?" you've already lost. ✅ START: Building Pre-Approval Frameworks Create culture-ready teams with pre-approved budgets for moments that matter. Stop death-gripping every activation. Hold things lightly. Be ready to move at the speed of culture, not the speed of quarterly earnings calls. #2 🛑 STOP: Thinking Transactionally about Communities If you come into a subculture with extraction in mind, they'll smell it immediately. As one contributor said: "The moment you try to monetize is the moment you lose authenticity." ✅ START: Thinking About Mutual Value Creation The magic formula isn't mutual IP, it's mutual value. Give communities something to shape, not just consume. When fans feel like co-creators rather than customers, that's when movements begin. #3 🛑STOP: Sanitizing Subcultures for Scale Every brand wants to tap into niche communities. The moment you try to make something "brand safe" for mass appeal, you've murdered the very thing that made it valuable. ✅ START: Protecting the Edge Keep Keep it weird. Embrace the friction. Sometimes 10,000 rabid fans who will tattoo your logo on their body beat 1 million passive followers who can't remember your name. #4 🛑 STOP: Creating "Experiential" That's Just Instagram Bait Selfie walls aren't experiences. They're content factories. If your activation's primary purpose is creating shareable content, you're building reality poor experiences. ✅ START: Designing for Beneficial Friction 60% of Gen Z says waiting in line for hyped retail is "part of the fun." They're not tolerating inefficiency, they're craving it. Create moments where the inefficiency IS the experience. Where gathering IS the point. Where being there matters more than posting about it. #5 🛑 STOP: Trying to Manufacture Fandom You can't growth-hack your way to genuine community. Discord servers and branded hashtags don't create fans, they create channels. ✅ START: Creating Conditions for Fandom to Emerge Think of fandom as "hyper-dynamic service culture." Respond to what your community needs moment by moment. When LA burned, the Rams didn't send thoughts and prayers. They opened their facilities. That's how you build believers, not customers. Dive into more of "what to do" on The Next Big Think!: 👉 💥 https://lnkd.in/es6-93QM Thank you to all those that shared and showed up with all the gold: Jenna Erdmann, Cas at StonesWay, Mindy Hamilton, Peter Pham, Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick, Christopher Kaiser, Sam Bergen, Joe Leavitt, Carole Diarra, Brian Feit, Andrew Klein, lynn casey And Samantha Rabstein for master meld minding! #Experiential #fandom #PTTOW #RealityRich #liveevents #Brandcollaborations