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Comment by kixiQu | Hacker News Reader

A fun idea, but I'd like to read someone writing not about the concept, but about their experience trying to consciously shape their participation in community to help them achieve their goals. How well does that work in practice? What's awkward about it, and what goes smoothly? When does it break down? Which interests map well onto this approach?

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Check out "Atomic Habits" by James Clear - he documents precisely this approach with numerous case studies of how community accountability transformed people's habits across various domains.

Been "doing" community for 10 years from technical to leadership communities (focused on Brazilian CTOs). I can answer the question above if you'd like to know.

I don't have much written, but I think about it daily.

I have a simple question. Is it worth building a community? Outside of being paid to do it, is it worth doing? Seems like more trouble than it's worth to me.

when it's a community of practice, yeah, I think it absolutely is worth it.

it’s where I learn the most. Talking to people facing similar challenges, hearing how they approach things, learning new tech, and new businesses models. It also builds networking and creates opportunities.

That said, I don’t think everyone needs to build community. Most people won’t, and that’s fine; but just participating makes (and helping the organizer whenever you can) is good

What are the most common issue/mistakes that make communities fizzle out?

Communities are basically promises: you create expectations, and they usually fizzle out when that commitment isn’t met. Same applies to events.

Most people think structure or rules keep a community alive, but they are just tools. What keeps communities alive is just being there for the users and in the channel they are used to talk and be active (whatsapp in my case)

Also when leading a community it is important to step back. Let others speak/ to leave them be. It is easy to "monopolize the mic" but the real magic happens when others start owning the space. Your role as a community organizer is to create a stage for others.

if you ever moderated an IRC channel, it’s the same energy: keep the lights on, be present, but don’t over-control :^)

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