Building Community: Lessons from door64.com Matt Genovese door64.com brainshowerconsulting.com August 15 th , 2009

What is door64.com? Community of 6000+ technology professionals in Austin & Central Texas Grew virally through word-of-mouth. No marketing budget. Me: Electrical/Computer engineer, hardware/software consultant, lover of Drupal and all things chocolate.

Community of 6000+ technology professionals in Austin & Central Texas

Grew virally through word-of-mouth.

No marketing budget.

Me: Electrical/Computer engineer, hardware/software consultant, lover of Drupal and all things chocolate.

Start with a problem… Masters program @ University of Texas There must be a better way… Started door64 version 1 in 2006, which not many people know about. … because it sucked.

Masters program @ University of Texas

There must be a better way…

Started door64 version 1 in 2006, which not many people know about.

… because it sucked.

What went wrong… Too much assuming, too little research or reflection. Too many website features too soon. Assumed everyone could grasp my vision. “ If you build it, they will come.” Vision was not focused. I built a website, not a community.

Too much assuming, too little research or reflection.

Too many website features too soon.

Assumed everyone could grasp my vision.

“ If you build it, they will come.”

Vision was not focused.

I built a website, not a community.

2007-Present: What worked… Topics 1. Process: Flywheel 2. Communication: Evangelize 3. Content: Me  UGC 4. Technology: CMS (Drupal)

Process: Flywheel Mental model Beginning: slow, much effort to make progress. Expect it. Incremental effort to increase momentum. Momentum eventually self-sustains and attracts new people. Value is the attractor. door64 model: Producers = recruiters Consumers = job hunters Momentum Producers Consumers Members Weeee! Value Value Value Social Momentum: p = mv m = mass of member base v = amount of interaction

Mental model

Beginning: slow, much effort to make progress. Expect it.

Incremental effort to increase momentum.

Momentum eventually self-sustains and attracts new people.

Value is the attractor.

door64 model:

Producers = recruiters

Consumers = job hunters

Process: Sustaining momentum Keeping it moving… Event calendar (me) Personal welcomes Weekly newsletter Face to face events Provide value Focused member base For the content poster, information is one-to-many Job givers Job seekers Members Weeee! F2F Events Newsletters Weeee! Happy hours Value Value Value Momentum

Keeping it moving…

Event calendar (me)

Personal welcomes

Weekly newsletter

Face to face events

Provide value

Focused member base

For the content poster, information is one-to-many

Communication: Evangelize Communicating vision through email was difficult. Face to face when possible Honing the message through conversation “Converts” evangelized for me Welcome emails to all new members Give the vision, features, and what to do next. Personal in every way Newsletters Reminder to return, and item to forward.

Communicating vision through email was difficult.

Face to face when possible

Honing the message through conversation

“Converts” evangelized for me

Welcome emails to all new members

Give the vision, features, and what to do next.

Personal in every way

Newsletters

Reminder to return, and item to forward.

Content: Me  UGC Never my intention to supply all content on the site. Beginning: I seeded much of the content. Now: No seeding required. Incentivize members to post ( value ) door64: (events, jobs) + newsletter + twitter feed = value. Happy hours boost online community activity.

Never my intention to supply all content on the site.

Beginning: I seeded much of the content.

Now: No seeding required.

Incentivize members to post ( value )

door64: (events, jobs) + newsletter + twitter feed = value.

Happy hours boost online community activity.

Technology: CMS (Drupal) Many free options available for community infrastructure. door64: Drupal Solid code base and active development Plethora of add-on modules Well thought-out and extensible data model increases usefulness of modules. Drupal-specific developers available. Disadvantage: Learning curve, being left behind in versions.

Many free options available for community infrastructure.

door64: Drupal

Solid code base and active development

Plethora of add-on modules

Well thought-out and extensible data model increases usefulness of modules.

Drupal-specific developers available.

Disadvantage: Learning curve, being left behind in versions.

Contact Matt Genovese Blog: brainshowerconsulting.com Email: matt@brainshowerconsulting.com

Matt Genovese

Blog: brainshowerconsulting.com

Email: matt@brainshowerconsulting.com