Technology is easy, people are hard – Why community matters
In a world of automation, where everything is built on technology, it’s easy to forget that it’s not what you do – it’s how you do it. The more tools we seemingly have to build with, the easier it becomes to overlook the most basic things that matter in the first place.
Automation is easy, but it’s easy for everyone else too. In a world of automation, there’s a pendulum swing back toward human connection, and that’s going to be more important than ever as people’s attention spans dwindle from the constant bombardment of messages and noise. Technology is easy; people are hard – but they don’t have to be.
What happens most often is that we overbuild, overthink, or oversell what we’re doing, all the while missing the simple things: focusing on helping people solve their problems in the most efficient and effective way possible. Technology can be great for this – if applied the right way. Nobody cares about your features; they want solutions. It’s not what you do – it’s how you do it. The most elegant solution is usually the simplest.
So, we challenge everyone to get back to the basics with a human-centric approach that starts with an authentic vision to help people. Build products and services that provide a great experience while solving real problems or creating opportunities for people in need. Sell what you do in an authentic way that people can believe in. If you do this the right way, you might unlock the most powerful tool for growth and success today: community.
It’s cheaper and faster than ever to launch new products. There are dozens of “me too” products that, from a feature perspective, don’t differ much at all. The ones that really stand out are those with the simplest solutions to big problems – and a great community built around the product.
So, how can you apply this yourself? You can learn from examples like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Just look at the networks of partners they’ve built – all part of the ecosystem. In fact, the most successful large companies you see today are only that way because of the communities they’ve built around their products. They host annual conferences, have partner programs that offer white-glove support, and bring their community members together to feel like they’re part of something bigger. Before, companies like this were the exception. Now, it’s the norm.
To build your own community, it starts with your authentic vision – your WHY. You can apply more tactical approaches afterward, whether that’s hosting in-person events, podcasting with people who reach your core audience, or developing win-win partner programs that benefit both you and your partners. Regardless of what you do, it’s not about you – it’s about what you can do for others and creating experiences that connect with the people who matter to your community.
We host Founder + Investor events across the country now. For us, we gain lead generation, brand awareness, and the opportunity to support our partners. But that’s not what we focus on. We know that if we do a good job inviting the right people and curating the right atmosphere where guests get real value, they’ll bless us with their time and attention. We just happen to capture their interest and inspire them to want to learn more about what we do. Putting all these people in a room creates a real marketplace feel. It’s authentic – not a sales pitch. Investors come for deal flow, founders come to meet investors, and other industry leaders come to exchange ideas – all within a fun, social, yet professional environment. It works because it’s authentic, and it’s about them, not us.
For content, we interview founders, investors, and other key industry thought leaders. Why? Not to explicitly sell what we do, but to tell their stories and extract insights that help our audience take away actionable ideas from successful, talented people. It just so happens their products are in our marketplace at the biggest discounted prices you can find, which we mention casually toward the end. We’re not trying to sell. If people want to buy, they’ll make that choice on their own. They don’t need to be sold – we just need their attention, and to earn that, we have to focus on providing value.
The simplest solution for building community is to start with your WHY. If you can figure out the purpose behind your vision or community, you’ll figure out the HOW. And if you do that, the WHAT will fall into place.
We’re in the people business. Technology is just an interface. If you do the small things right and keep your focus on the people you serve, you’ll arrive at the right conclusions, build your product the right way, and create a community around your vision. And in this world of infinitely scaled automation and endless noise, the community you build will become your greatest asset. In the end, the community you build won’t just protect your business – it will define it.
Written by Andy Karuza
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