Community is the root of success for great brands, companies and startups. Learn from Product Hunt's Erik Torenberg how to acquire early users and grow from initial traction to viral growth.

1. @eriktorenberg
Erik@producthunt.co

2. Building your early
community
By Erik Torenberg
Founding Team, ProductHunt

3. Overview:
1) Give Value
2) Make them feel special
3) Build community into product
4) Ask them to share their experience
5) Build in Public
6) Events/Meetups
7) Influencer/thought leadership

4. Who am I?
What is Product Hunt?

7. the “20 minute” MVP
first version:

8. 1) Be obsessed with
giving early users value
and making them feel
special.

9. community-building tactics
what
Welcome new users via email
why
Be memorable & make people feel
special

10. what
Seed the community & provide a
preview
why
Get buy-in, show momentum, & set
the culture
community-building tactics

11. community-building tactics
what
Mention community members when
relevant
why
Provide value & re-enforce a helpful
culture

12. community-building tactics
what
Share mockups
why
Get people excited & invested

13. community-building tactics
what
T-shirts / swag!
why
Create a sense of belonging & pride

14. community-building tactics
what
Mail stickers
why
Delight people

15. community-building tactics
what
Podcast
why
Add personality, new way for the
community to engage with PH

16. community-building tactics
what
Tell stories
why
Make the community proud to be a
part of the story

17. Why do people go to events?
1. Help them in their personal life
2. Help them in their professional life
3. They feel part of a community

18. Start Small
With things you enjoy

19. BRUNCHES!
•Splashthat
•25-30 people
•Hosted every
week

22. Phase Two:
Go Bigger

23. Invite more people
•Throw a Big Happy Hour
•Condense your social time
•Go to where the users are

24. Los Angeles

25. New York City

26. Phase Three:
Scale to More Cities

27. A great first event is key
1. Make it easy for hosts
2. Give them incentives (stickers,
shirts, promotion)
3. Publicly congratulate them
4. Follow up

28. Feature on your Site

29. Give Examples

30. Spreading Awareness
• Ask volunteers to take pictures
• Partner with local organizations
• Promote startups in their city
• Have FUN with it!

31. Follow these guidelines
• Get a person with a lot of followers to post
your product
• Post at the right time (before 730 AM PST)
• Get in the comments RIGHT AWAY
• Do a featured “starred” launch
• Look at who liked your post (investors,
customers)
• Write a “how-to” post after your experience

32. Get influential people to curate collections and feature you

33. All About Relationships

34. Thanks!!
I’m @eriktorenberg