How Startups Can Build Impactful Community
Strategies to purposefully build and find community in this new normal
Germaine Lau, Head of Labs at XRC Labs
As we approach another virtual year, there is a tremendous opportunity for early-stage startups to build meaningful connections and resources. The pandemic undoubtedly changed the way many of us interact and do business with each other. This shift in communication is especially pertinent for startups who typically thrive on in-person energy and connections. Given my role at XRC Labs, I have worked with our founders and startup community to overcome these challenges. Here are a few insights that we have gathered to help founders purposefully build and find community in this new normal.
1. Leverage technology to make connecting with community members easy
Many new forms and platforms for communication have emerged since the onset of the pandemic, providing a safer, virtual way to connect both internally and externally. At XRC Labs, we have experimented with many of these networking tools and found that exploring options within Slack, our main communication platform, seemed to work best in helping to foster new connections within our community. For members to easily navigate and connect within the Slack workspace, I recommend building specific support channels for community members to seek help with their problems. The Slack app library also has many free tools that encourage organic connection among community members, including Donut and HeyTaco. Also, delegating the responsibility of driving and managing conversations to a “community manager” helps tremendously in keeping the community active. Outside of Slack, it is also worth exploring newer online tools while building out your community to keep things interesting. We’ve experimented with Orbiit, Sophya, and Icebreaker (virtual venues).
2. Reach out to a peer/advisor for advice on tackling a new, specific challenge
Building connections and networking with others is easier and more likely to succeed when it has a specific purpose. For example, if you are a founder having some trouble writing and measuring OKRs, explore and leverage startup communities such as Dreamers and Doers, Lolita’s Newsletter, Techstars, elpha or social media platforms like Clubhouse, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect with founders who have experience in solving that problem. I also encourage founders in our community to reach laterally versus upwards in building their network — the connections you make with people at your level can be just as important as ones with higher-level executives and investors. At XRC Labs, we host a weekly roll call for founders in our current cohort to connect with portfolio company founders who are six months to one year ahead of them. This strategy has been successful because you can rely on and trust people who were in your position to give tactical pointers and advice.
3. Set a consistent, dedicated time for the community to gather
It is incredibly important to create a consistent venue for community members to congregate and share ongoing events. This can be a formal monthly Zoom call, a weekly mediation and wellness check-in, or some combination of both. Whatever form it takes, consistency is critical in building the foundation of a new community.
Remember, building a community takes time and requires flexibility, especially in our virtual world. Here are few things to remember as you move forward this year:
- It may take time to get off the ground, and not everyone will be consistent in their participation, but it’s important to push through and present yourself as a consistent resource.
- Don’t give up — building a meaningful, sustainable community takes time and dedication, and it’s even more challenging in a pandemic.
- If you’re interested in joining a structured group of early community builders, On Deck has an amazing Community Builders Fellowship where selected applicants learn how to create communities, get them off the ground, and sustain the growth as they scale.
