Growth
How Startups Can Thrive Through Community Building
Written by
Lineke Kruisinga
Published on
June 5, 2025
Written by
Published on
Building a strong community around your startup can be a game-changer. Whether you’re trying to connect with early users, get feedback, or grow through word of mouth, the right community can help you move faster and smarter. In this article, we’ll walk you through why community building matters, how to get started, where to find your people, and what it takes to keep them engaged for the long run.
A strong community can make a big difference in how your startup grows. It’s a network of people who support your mission, give feedback, and help spread the word.
Increased customer loyalty
When people feel like they’re part of something, they stick around. A strong community improves retention and helps reduce churn because members feel connected to your brand.
Real-time feedback and support
Your community can act as a sounding board. Whether it’s feedback on a new feature or help with a bug, your most engaged users often give the most valuable insights.
Organic brand growth
Happy community members often turn into brand advocates. They share your product with others, invite friends, and help grow your reach naturally.
More than just business
Being part of a community also means you’re not building alone. You get access to advice, shared experiences, and even emotional support from people who are on the same journey.
Personal growth and motivation
Community keeps you inspired. Whether you're just starting out or years in, having people who believe in what you're doing and show it can boost your confidence and motivation to keep going.
Examples in action
Look at Startup Grind or GrowthHackers, both started as communities and turned into powerful ecosystems that support founders, marketers, and innovators around the world.
Before you build a community, you need to know why it should exist. What brings people together? What do they all care about?
Start with your “why”
Every strong community is built around a shared purpose. That could be your product, a common interest, or a mission people believe in. Ask yourself: What do I want this community to stand for? Maybe it’s helping early-stage founders, supporting bootstrapped startups, or creating space for product feedback.
Know who it’s for
Your community won’t be for everyone and that’s a good thing. Be specific. Are you building this for early adopters, power users, first-time founders, or angel investors? When you know who you’re talking to, it’s easier to offer real value.
Look at others who’ve done it well
Techstars built a global network around founder support. Indie Hackers created a space for solo builders to share progress and learn from each other. Both have clear missions and a defined audience and that’s what made them grow.
Starting a business is tough especially if you’re an angel investor or a solo founder. Being part of a community with like-minded people can make a big difference. You get access to advice, resources, and motivation to keep going. It reminds you that you’re not alone in the process.
But building a community from scratch isn’t easy especially if it doesn’t exist yet for the group you want to reach. That’s why we’ve listed four simple tips to help you get started.
1. Find your niche
The best communities are built around a shared problem or need. Think about what challenge your ideal members face, and how your community can help solve it.
It’s just like building a startup focus on solving something real, and the right people will join.
2. Set a clear goal
Before you build anything, ask yourself: why should someone join? What do they get out of it?
A good community gives people a reason to show up. Maybe it’s support, networking, or learning from others in the same space.
3. Be ready to adjust
Your first idea might not be perfect and that’s okay.
As more people join, listen to their feedback. Learn what they care about, and shape the community around their needs. It’s a work in progress.
4. Encourage honest conversations
People stick around when they feel heard and valued.
Create a space where members can share openly, help each other, and even build things together. Real connection is what makes a community strong.
Once you know who your community is for, it’s time to choose where it will live. The right platform helps people connect, share ideas, and stay involved.
Pick the platform that fits your audience
Different platforms work for different types of communities.
– Slack and Discord are great for real-time chats and active discussions.
– Facebook Groups are useful if your audience is already on Facebook.
– LinkedIn is better for professional or B2B communities.
– Circle gives you more control and is ideal if you want to build a more structured, branded community space.
Each platform has pros and cons. Slack is fast and familiar but can get noisy. Facebook Groups are easy to start but offer less control. Circle is clean and customizable but comes with a cost.
Don’t forget offline moments
In-person events can build stronger connections. Think of meetups, workshops, or founder dinners. These give people a chance to talk face-to-face and form deeper bonds. Tools like Meetup or Eventbrite help you organize these easily.
Build or borrow?
You can use platforms your audience already knows (rented spaces, like Facebook or Discord), or build your own space (owned, like a private forum). Rented platforms grow faster. Owned platforms give you full control. A mix of both can work well too.
You’ve built your product, set up your website, and you’re preparing for launch. But what many founders forget is that a big part of success comes before you go live.
Take Basecamp as an example. Before launching, the team already had a strong audience thanks to their blog “Signal vs. Noise.” They had about 50,000 followers ready and waiting. When Basecamp finally launched, that built-in community helped them grow fast and today the company is worth millions.
If you’re getting ready to launch your startup, now’s the time to start building your community. It will make those early months a lot smoother and can even help you earn revenue sooner. Not sure how to start? Here are four simple steps to guide you.
Start planning your community early. The sooner you begin, the more time you have to grow an audience that’s excited about what you’re building.
Think online and offline. Set up social media or a community space online, and also go to networking events to meet people face-to-face especially if your startup is in B2B.
It’s also smart to create a few simple community rules. These help members feel safe and respected. A basic code of conduct sets the tone and shows people what kind of space you’re building.
Your community needs a place to connect. Social media is a good start, but not every platform fits every startup.
Facebook Groups, Reddit, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, each one works for different audiences. For example, if most of your users are men, Pinterest might not be the best fit.
You can also share updates on platforms like Medium or use niche platforms like Steemit if you’re in tech or blockchain. The main goal is to give people a space to connect, ask questions, and follow your journey.
A great community is built around something people care about. What problem is your startup solving? Why should people care? That’s your shared purpose and it’s what brings people together.
Use emotion and storytelling to connect with people. If your startup helps solve a real problem, talk about it honestly. Let people relate to it. A personal, emotional message sticks far more than a generic one.
When people feel connected to your mission, they’re more likely to stay involved and spread the word.
As your community grows, start collecting emails. A strong email list is one of the best tools for launching and growing your startup.
Email lets you stay in touch, share updates, and test new ideas. It’s personal, direct, and easy to manage. Even if social platforms change, your email list stays yours.
Try offering something in return like early access, a free resource, or exclusive updates to encourage signups.
A community only works when people stay active and involved. That’s why it’s important to keep showing up and making space for others to do the same.
Be present
Check in regularly with your community. Share weekly updates, ask how people are doing, and keep them in the loop. Even small posts or quick messages help remind members they’re part of something that’s growing.
Start conversations
Ask questions, run polls, or start a discussion around a topic your members care about. This gives people a reason to speak up and connect with each other not just with you.
Listen and respond
Good communities aren’t just about talking they’re about listening. If someone gives feedback or shares an idea, show that you hear them. Take their input seriously and, when possible, act on it. This builds trust and keeps people engaged.
Let others take the lead
As your community grows, give members a chance to step up. You can assign roles like moderators or invite trusted members to help run events or start conversations. People feel more invested when they have a role in making the community better.
Even with all the right moves, building and maintaining a community isn’t always smooth sailing. There are a few tricky parts that can catch founders off guard.
Keeping the momentum alive
It’s one thing to get people excited at the start, but how do you keep that energy going over time? Without regular updates, fresh topics, or occasional surprises, even the most enthusiastic community can slow down.
Balancing control and freedom
You want to guide the direction of the community, but too much control can make it feel stiff or corporate, while too little can lead to chaos or off-topic noise. Finding that sweet spot is part of the challenge.
Handling conflict
Disagreements and tensions are part of any group. Ignoring them can hurt the vibe, but jumping in too aggressively can push people away. Good moderation, clear rules, and a respectful tone are key.
Focusing on the right metrics
It’s tempting to chase big numbers like total members or post counts, but those don’t always tell you if the community is truly healthy. Pay more attention to meaningful engagement, genuine conversations, and long-term relationships.
Staying aligned with your mission
As your community grows, it’s easy to drift away from the original purpose. New members might bring in fresh ideas or push the conversation in unexpected directions. While evolution is natural, it’s important to regularly remind everyone (including yourself) what the community stands for so it doesn’t lose focus or turn into something completely different.
As your community starts to grow, it’s important to keep track of what’s working and what’s not. This helps you make smart decisions and grow without losing the vibe that made your community special in the first place.
Keep an eye on the numbers
Look at simple metrics like how many people are active, how often they post, and how engaged they are. Are they inviting others? Are they coming back? These are signs that your community is healthy. Good numbers to track include:
– Engagement rate
– Active users
– Referral traffic
– Member retention
Grow with care
It’s exciting to go from 100 to 10,000 members, but don’t forget what made your community great early on. Keep the same tone, values, and personal touch—even as you scale. Growth is good, but only if the culture stays strong.
Use the right tools
There are tools that can help you track and manage your community.
– Orbit is great for managing relationships.
– Common Room helps track engagement and identify active members.
– Discourse Analytics works well if your community lives on a forum.
Building a community takes time, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your startup. It helps you earn trust, build loyalty, and turn users into real supporters.
Keep showing up, listen to what people need, and give them space to contribute. Start small, stay real, and let the community grow with you. The stronger your community, the stronger your startup will be.
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