Crafting a ! Self-Sustaining Community
Culture! ! The Power of Ritual, Purpose, and Shared Identity ! ! ! Emily Castor! Director of Community Relations, Lyft @emilycastor

As community people, we’re passionate
about 1:1 connections

Authentic 1:1 personal connections are
meaningful, emotional, and sticky.

How do you scale this
without hiring an army?

I have a confession.

I majored in
Women’s Studies.

I studied feminism and other
social movements

I never thought it would
get me a job.

Neither did my
parents.

I learned radical ideas about
where identity comes from.

Identity is something
we perform

Every day, through thousands of
tiny actions, we create our identities.

Identity is produced
by rituals.

We learn by watching others,
then repeat what we see.

Our rituals also shape our
emotions. ! (Smile and try not to feel happy!)

No puppet master is making
it happen.

Rituals scale culture
organically.

In P2P communities, culture matters
a lot. It forms the user experience.

How can we change how
people feel about riding with strangers?

How can we change how
people feel about riding with strangers?

How can we change how
people feel about giving rides to strangers?

Create a different
ritual.

Create a different
identity.

Create a different
emotion.

The mustache is a smile.

Sit in the front seat.

Fistbump.
(Don’t flump!)

Hang out.

Be creative.

Build a strong culture based
on rituals your community can repeat.

Powerful 1:1 interactions can happen
without you.

Let community leaders be the
shamans.

(They’ll come up with better
stuff than you do!)

But why should
they care?

You’re doing this because you
want to change the world.

Ask your community to join
you in that mission.

Give them a sense of
purpose.

Meaning. Impact. Recognition. More than
material rewards.

Remember: Identity and emotion stem
from our rituals.

Rituals people observe
and repeat.

Learn the Ritual Repeat it
Identity & Emotion

Teach rituals to build a
meaningful shared identity

An aspirational identity that lyfts
people up to who they want to be

Where do !
rituals start?!

Where do rituals start?! Your
product. Your CRM. Community platforms. Communications. Events.

Connect your community to each
other.

They will perpetuate and enrich
your culture through 1:1 interactions on their own.

Let the magic happen.

Crafting a ! Self-Sustaining Community
Culture! ! The Power of Ritual, Purpose, and Shared Identity ! ! ! Emily Castor! Director of Community Relations, Lyft @emilycastor