The document provides guidance on starting a new technology user group by outlining common challenges and solutions. It discusses establishing the basics like date, venue, speakers and communication. Additional steps include finding members, securing a venue, cultivating speakers, obtaining sponsors and food. The document emphasizes setting clear expectations, ensuring accessibility, and fostering an inclusive community through a code of conduct. The overall message is that starting a user group requires perseverance but can be rewarding.

1. GrowingYour
Technology User Group
SCALE13x 2015

2. Hi, I’m Kara Sowles
Community Initiatives Manager
Puppet Labs
Portland, OR
Twitter: @feynudibranch
Email: kara@puppetlabs.com

3. I made a user group!

4. Awesome first meeting!

5. ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD
And then...
- from The Lion King copyright walt disney pictures -

6. “The internet is littered with ghost towns where
communities used to be.The people still exist - but
the structure fell apart.”
- I couldn’t find a quote about this so I made one up

7. Where are we
headed?
Hall of User Group Creation
The No-Members
Mountains
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection

8. Hall of User Group Creation

9. THE BASICS
Date / Starting Time
Venue
Speaker
Way to communicate with members
Let the world know it exists
Maybe food?

10. RECONNAISSANCE
When do similar groups meet?
Is there already a group about X?
What works well for other local groups?

11. Choose an online home for your group

12. SET EXPECTATIONS
Find a cadence and stick to it.
We’ll come back to this later...
setting expectations is key.

13. PURPOSE

14. Hall of User Group Creation
The No-Members
Mountains
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
Our Journey Begins...

15. Local Community Sites

16. Local Conferences

17. Joint Meetings
Find a similar user group, and
team up for a talk aimed at
both audiences!

18. The No-Members
Mountains
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
The No-Members
Mountains
Hall of User Group Creation

19. Members!
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
Friends! At last!
Hall of User Group Creation

20. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
TheVenue-lessValley

21. MAKE
A
LIST
Brief description of group’s purpose
Average # of members at each meeting
Date / Time of meetings
A/V requirements
Any other space requirements / needs

22. THINK
ABOUT
PERKS
“The hosting company is invited to
announce any open jobs at the beginning of
each meeting.”
“The hosting company is listed as a
sponsor on our meetup page, and at our
yearly event.”
“The hosting library has interesting events
to advertise and bring in more people.”

23. Ask your company

24. Ask your friend’s company

25. When thanking those
that said ‘no’, ask them
for recommendations.

26. Are there any local
companies that cater to
your attendees’
demographic?

27. Ask your user group

28. Local University
or
Local Library

29. Check where other
user groups are hosted

30. Get flexible

31. STILL NO HOST :’(

32. Temporary or alternate
locations

33. BE A
GOOD
GUEST
Leave the space clean
Turn off the projector
Don’t act entitled to the space
Check back in every month
Thank the host regularly
SET EXPECTATIONS - no surprises!

34. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
TheVenue-lessValley
The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
TheVenue-lessValley

35. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
Yes! Shelter!

36. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
The Speaker-less
Swamps

37. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
Yes, it’s tough.

38. “What topics would you
like to hear about
next month?”

39. “Does anyone
have experience
with [X topic]?”

40. Post the list of
suggested topics to
the group online, and
ask again.

41. Ask individual members
what they’re doing.

42. Cultivate those who
don’t give talks (yet)

43. At your company:
Look for managers that
want to foster speaking
opportunities for their
teams

44. To companies:
“Would you send
someone to give a talk
on [X topic]?”

45. Still no speakers?
Hold a...
Discussion Session
Hack Night

46. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! The Speaker-less Swamps
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
The Speaker-less
Swamps

47. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
Speakers!
Yay!

48. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
The Food-less
Flats

49. Finding $ponsors

50. The company
that’s hosting you

51. Your Company

52. Other Companies

53. SWAG

54. Your Company as a
Support Structure

55. Think Like
Other Departments
Leverage Sales team
Leverage Professional Services team
Leverage Education team
Leverage Marketing team
Leverage Engineering team
Leverage Community team

56. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
The Food-less
Flats
The Rains of
Rejection
The Food-less
Flats

57. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
FOOD!

58. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
The Rains of Rejection

59. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
The Storm of Sad
:’(

60. Making your group
inviting:
Setting
Expectations

61. Anatomy of a Meeting
Socialize
Introduction
Presentation
Next Meeting topic & talk sourcing
Socialize
Just an example....

62. Clear familiarity level
Are the talks this month for intermediate users?
Is this session accessible for absolute beginners?

63. ACCESSIBILITY
Is it easy to find the venue?
Is there parking nearby? Bike parking? Bus
access?
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Who can people email with special
accessibility requests or questions?

64. Have a Code of Conduct

65. ― Bell Hooks, Teaching Community: A P
“To build community requires vigilant awareness of the
work we must continually do to undermine all the
socialization that leads us to behave in ways that
perpetuate domination.”
― bell hooks
Teaching Community:
A Pedagogy of Hope

68. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
The Rains of Rejection

69. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
:)

70. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection

71. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection

72. Hall of User Group Creation
Members!
Venue! Speakers!
FOOD
The Rains of
Rejection
YOU

74. Kara Sowles - Puppet Labs
Your advice?
Twitter: @feynudibranch
Email: kara@puppetlabs.com

75. Kara Sowles
Community Initiatives Manager
Puppet Labs
Portland, OR
Twitter: @feynudibranch
Email: kara@puppetlabs.com
Thanks for listening!