1/ 💬 Trends #0045 — Paid Communities

A thread:

🏁 24 Players

🔮 3 Predictions

☁️ 7 Opportunities

🔑 4 Key Lessons

😠 5 Haters
2/ 🔍 Problem

Free communities tend to be noisy without a barrier to entry.
3/ 💡 Solution

Paid communities use strategic friction to build high-signal environments.
4/ 🏁 Paid Communities

• Trends Pro @DruRly
• Femstreet @femstreet
• Founder Summit @FounderSummit
• MicroConf Connect @MicroConf
• Consulting Club @consultingclub_
• Launch MBA @LaunchMBA
5/ 🏁 Paid Communities

• PandoLabs @PandoLabs
• MicroAcquire @microacquire
• Launch House @launch_house
• Lenny’s Newsletter @lennysan
• Everything Marketplaces @Yoroomie
6/ 🏁 Tools

• Laylo @laylodotcom
• Icebreaker @IcebreakerVideo
• Hopin @hopinofficial
• Gumroad @gumroad
• Commsor @Commsor
• Slack @SlackHQ
7/ 🏁 Platforms

• Disciple @DiscipleMedia
• Facebook @Facebook
• Circle @CircleApp
• Mighty Networks @MightyNetworks
• Patreon @Patreon
• PeerBoard @peerboard
8/ 🔮 Prediction

Fractionally-owned assets will be the basis of “paid” communities. @Nike MAG shareholders have more in common than those of utility companies. https://www.withotis.com/drop/nike-mag 
9/ 🔮 Prediction

Community-as-a-Service will become a common XaaS category. Late Checkout helps brands build communities. https://trends.vc/trends-0017-xaas-anything-as-a-service/
10/ 🔮 Prediction

Funds will leverage paid communities for deal flow. See MicroConf Connect ( @tinyseedfund) and Founder Summit Remote ( @earnestcapital). https://trends.vc/trends-0019-bootstrap-funds/
11/ ☁️ Opportunities

Build an audience first. Start with a newsletter, podcast or YouTube channel.

Audience-to-community solves the chicken and egg problem.

http://Trends.vc  reached 20,000+ subscribers before Trends Tribe meetups were launched. https://trends.vc/trends-0030-audience-first-products/
12/ ☁️ Opportunities

Craft a mission statement. See @CompoundWriting's Manifesto.

Why do you gather?
What’s your mission?
What are your core values?
What problems do you solve together?
13/ ☁️ Opportunities

Use challenges to gamify success. @LaunchMBA members produce 12 products in 12 months. https://trends.vc/trends-0021-gamification/
14/ ☁️ Opportunities

Create rituals.

Host standups, meetups, co-building sessions and retreats to form bonds and productive habits.

Trends Pro Members build compounding relationships in daily standups. https://twitter.com/naval/status/1002103908947263488
15/ ☁️ Opportunities

Leverage user-generated content.

Hundreds of people Tweet using #100DaysOfNoCode. Bringing attention to the community.
16/ ☁️ Opportunities

Nurture one-on-one connections to build a stronger community.

Trends Pro Members have weekly one-on-ones.
17/ ☁️ Opportunities

Build growth tools to draw members into your paid community.

See the No-Code Marketplace directory, toolkit and book from @marketplaceshq https://trends.vc/trends-0016-growth-tools/
18/ 🔑 Key Lessons

Price is multi-dimensional.

@CompoundWriting requires you to submit your best writing to apply.

This is non-monetary friction.
19/ 🔑 Key Lessons

Paid community members have skin in the game.

Investment limits noise and boosts engagement.
20/ 🔑 Key Lessons

You’re the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with.

Paid communities raise the average.
21/ 🔑 Key Lessons

Beware of reverse network effects.

Scale changes everything. Especially groups.

Engagement drops as communities grow.
22/ 😠 Haters

“You already covered this.”

Yes and I’ve covered No-Code, Bootstrap Funds and Micro Private Equity more than once.

There’s always more to learn. https://trends.vc/trends-0038-micro-private-equity/
23/ 😠 Haters

“Most of these communities are online.”

Google jiu-jitsu, country club or university if you’re looking for offline paid communities.
24/ 😠 Haters

“Some online paid communities are built without an audience.”

Cold outreach, personal networks and borrowed credibility can work.
25/ 😠 Haters

“Paid communities are exclusionary.”

Yes. So are “free” communities. You can’t pay to become a Navy SEAL but the price can be your life.

Price is more than money.
26/ 😠 Haters

“What about community fatigue?”

Fatigue is a forcing function for quality. The same goes for newsletters. https://trends.vc/trends-0036-paid-newsletters/
You can follow @DruRly.
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