Vlad Suteu
Sep 8, 2018 · 3 min read

Building Communities.

A very popular topic nowadays, people have a hard time in truly understanding what this actually means. In order to discuss this topic, I will address some main parts, which will hopefully shed more light for everyone interested in this.

Throughout our colourful history and development of societies, we have always been part of a community. A community focused around those who discovered fire, a community built around those who invented the wheel or the internet. What is interesting about all these major milestones in our life on this planet, is the fact that all of them were built on 2 simple principles: Belonging and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Belonging

“I want to be part of your life”- it’s the message that every brand smack’s you in the face with everyday. Some in a smart and sexy way, some in a manipulative and sometimes creepy way. Most of the industries have been built on “the experience” offered by a product to a group of people. This drink makes you feel amazing, those shoes are the “extra mile” you have to take, because you have to “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything”(pretty sure I’ve heard that somewhere these last few days). Actually all these techniques are mastered by us in a way in which they are now part of our lives.

What is truly fascinating about how marketeers have mastered the use of “belonging” in sales, is the fact that it is now almost impossible to consume something without being part of a group, trend, mindset or ideology. This is not headline news, but it is still weird for the highly sophisticated and ultimate creatures. People want something more than just to belong, to be a part of a passive and automated audience that digests stories built the desire to be more. More pretty, more fit, more “belonging”.

FOMO

One of the main drivers in building anxiety in our lives, is rooted in the fear of missing out. Feeding our lives with scrolls and clicks, we are like an AI system creating processes that take us towards achieving a status. In the process of achieving a status, whether it’s “the best in my team”, “#1 Sales Member”, “Entrepreneur of Year” or just “Amazing Dad” (which by the way, must be validated by Social Media), we are running like headless chickens in a game where that has no end. Every-time we achieve a proposed goal, there’s a new level being unlocked by society and basic rules in economy. Bullshit- every-time we unlock a new level, we are looking for status upgrade, because once you have a taste on the newly unlocked level, you don’t want to go back. Who would want to work hard to unlock the next level at have a downgrade as a reward?

Strongly rotted in our desire to become and do more, every new goal we setup is also portrayed in our fear of missing out. Whether it is a new ICO you have to contribute to, or an amazing event you don’t want to miss out on, the fear of missing out is one of the key factors driving our lives. Over the last year, I have been struggling with this gremlin that was eating more brain power than anything else. Questions like “What if this new venture might just be the next big thing?” or “What if this person actually can help me get one step closer to my goal?” were constant elevator pitches that I was doing with myself. And soon after achieving level TMM (Teach Me Master) in this art, I realised that the fear of missing out on things was actually a central part that fuelled my brain. A repetitive action that becomes a habit, is actually transforming into a personal incentive be more critical with you life, you time and your future.

After many years of experiencing different dynamics between these two aspects described above, I came to the conclusion that they are actually a central part of building anything. A brand, a company, an ICO or a movement and the mastering level of the two is one of the key drivers of innovation in our lives.

(Photo by Nathaniel Tetteh on Unsplash)

Vlad Suteu

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