The community trap
"Community" has become a buzzword. It's often been misappropriated by audience-builders, because it sounds more valuable than 'users' or 'followers'.
A true community isn’t just a prescribed label; it’s about belonging, as illustrated by the actions of a group of people.
Community building was foundational to Product Hunt early on in 2013[1]. We built a global audience of makers and founders, excited about the future and technology. This led to hundreds of meetups, from 1,000+ person events in San Francisco to local gatherings in Amsterdam. People wore Product Hunt swag, including forehead tattoos (shoutout to Loic… unfortunately, it was only temporary), and supported each other’s launches daily.
But community is secondary to utility.
This has been true for Product Hunt, both then and now, as well as for all other companies.
No one wants to join a community. They want utility – something that solves a problem or provides clear value to their life.
Makers use Product Hunt to spread the word about their new product. They use it to acquire their first users, gather feedback, and earn status for reaching the top of the daily leaderboard.
Consumers use Product Hunt to follow along with the latest trends in tech, get inspired, and connect with likeminded tech optimists.
Utility brings people through the door, while community keeps them at the party, inviting their friends.
When done well, community drives WOM, increases retention, and creates a sustainable brand. However, this must come after utility.
I realize what I'm saying is quite obvious but I think it's worth being explicit. Too many founders reach out to me asking how to build community before they've figured out utility (i.e. the specific problem they're solving and for whom).
As much as I advocate for community building, focusing on it without clear utility is a trap.
[1] Someday I'll write a post about all the things we did to build community in the early Product Hunt days. Until then, this old post includes some of the backstory.