| date | "2026-02-07T00:00:00.000Z" |
| created | "2026-02-07T00:00:00.000Z" |
| name | community-launch |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | When the user wants to launch a new community from scratch, plan a community launch, or relaunch an existing community. Also use when the user mentions 'launch community,' 'start a community,' 'build a community,' 'community from scratch,' 'relaunch,' or 'community kickoff.' For overall strategy, see community-strategy. For growth after launch, see community-growth. |
| tags | ["welcome","general","feedback","community-launch","skill"] |
Community Launch
You are an expert at launching communities that build momentum from day one. Your goal is to help users avoid the empty-room problem and create a community that feels alive from the first week.
Before Starting
Check for community context first:
If .claude/community-context.md exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
1. Launch Context
- New community or relaunch?
- Target launch date?
- What existing audience can you tap? (email list, social followers, customers)
2. Founding Members
- Who are the first 20-50 people you'd invite?
- Do you have relationships with them already?
- What would make them show up and stay?
3. Resources
- Who's running this? (solo, small team, dedicated CM)
- Budget for tools, events, incentives?
- How many hours per week can you invest at launch?
The Empty Room Problem
The #1 reason communities fail at launch: they open the doors before there's anyone inside. Nobody wants to be the first person in an empty room.
The solution: Never launch to the public until your community already looks active.
The data: 80% of communities that launch publicly without pre-seeded activity die within 3 months (CMX research). Communities that launch with 30+ active founding members have 3x higher 6-month survival rates. Indie Hackers launched with 50 hand-picked founders and hit 100K members in 18 months. Morning Brew's referral community grew to 1.5M subscribers by launching with 1,000 hand-recruited college ambassadors.
Pre-Launch Phase (4-8 Weeks Before)
Step 1: Recruit Founding Members
You need 20-50 founding members committed before you open. These are not random signups — they're hand-picked.
Where to find them:
- Your existing customers or audience
- People you've interacted with on social media
- Industry connections who care about the topic
- People already active in adjacent communities
- Email subscribers who engage most
How to recruit:
Send personal messages (not mass emails). The pitch:
Hey [name],
I'm building [community name] — a [type] for [audience] focused on [topic].
I'm putting together a founding group of [X] people before we open to the public.
Given your [background/interest/work on X], I think you'd be a great fit.
As a founder, you'd help shape what this becomes — the culture, the topics,
the direction. Plus [specific benefit: early access, direct line to team, etc.].
Interested?
Aim for 60% acceptance rate. If lower, your pitch or targeting needs work. Product Hunt's community started with personal emails from Ryan Hoover to 100 tech influencers — 70%+ acceptance rate because the invite felt exclusive and personal. Superpath (content marketing community) recruited 200 founding members through personal LinkedIn DMs, hitting a 55% acceptance rate.
Step 2: Set Up the Space
Before inviting anyone:
- Create 3-5 channels max (not 20). Start small and expand based on demand
- Pin a welcome message explaining what this is and what to do first
- Seed each channel with 1-2 starter discussions
- Set up basic roles (admin, moderator, member)
- Write community guidelines (see moderation-governance)
Starter channel structure:
#welcome — Introductions and orientation
#general — Main discussion
#[topic-1] — Primary topic channel
#[topic-2] — Secondary topic channel
#feedback — Suggestions for the community itself
Step 3: Create a Launch Ritual
Plan a specific event or activity for launch week that gives people a reason to show up at the same time:
- Kickoff AMA with a notable guest or the founder
- Introduction thread where everyone shares who they are and what they're working on
- First challenge or collaborative activity
- Welcome call (video or audio) where founding members meet
Step 4: Build a Waitlist (Optional)
If you want to build anticipation before launch:
- Create a simple landing page with community value prop
- Collect emails with clear "what you'll get"
- Send 2-3 pre-launch emails building anticipation
- Consider an application process for exclusivity
Launch Week
Day 1: Soft Launch (Founding Members Only)
- Invite all founding members
- Post your welcome message and personal story (why you built this)
- Kick off the introduction thread
- Be visibly present and engage with every post
Day 2-3: Activate
- Run your launch ritual event
- DM every founding member who hasn't posted yet — ask a direct question
- Start 2-3 discussions in topic channels
- Share something valuable (resource, insight, exclusive content)
Day 4-5: Expand
- Ask founding members to invite 1-2 people each
- Share highlights of the best early discussions
- Identify your most active members and thank them directly
Day 6-7: Assess
- What's working? Double down
- What's quiet? Remove or rethink
- Which members are most engaged? These are your future leaders
Post-Launch (Weeks 2-4)
Week 2: Establish Rhythm
- Start your recurring programming (weekly discussion, content drop, office hours)
- Identify and empower 2-3 community champions
- Begin light outward promotion
Week 3: Open Growth
- Open to broader audience (public, email list, social)
- Create shareable moments from community conversations
- Ask members for testimonials or quotes
Week 4: Systematize
- Document what's working as repeatable processes
- Set up moderation workflows
- Establish metrics tracking (see community-metrics)
- Plan next month's programming
Relaunch Framework
For communities that have gone quiet and need a reset:
Diagnose First
- Why did engagement drop? (content fatigue, wrong platform, key members left, no programming)
- What's worth saving? (members, content, brand)
- What needs to change? (platform, format, leadership, focus)
Relaunch Steps
- Announce the relaunch — be honest about what happened and what's changing
- Purge or archive dead channels and stale content
- Re-recruit your most engaged historical members
- Redesign the space based on what you've learned
- Relaunch using the same founding-member-first approach above
Launch Checklist
Pre-Launch
Launch Week
Post-Launch (30 Days)
Launch Benchmarks
| Metric | Target | Excellent |
|---|
| Founding member acceptance rate | 50-60% | 70%+ |
| Day 1 activation (founding members who post) | 60% | 80%+ |
| Week 1 retention | 70% | 85%+ |
| Member-invited growth (week 1) | 1.5x founding base | 2-3x |
| Time to first 100 members | 2-4 weeks | <2 weeks |
| Organic discussions per day (week 2+) | 2-3 | 5+ |
Common Launch Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| Opening to everyone on day 1 | Start with founding members only |
| Creating too many channels | Start with 3-5, expand based on demand |
| No programming or events | Plan at least one launch week event |
| Waiting for perfection | Launch when it's good enough, iterate |
| Not being present enough | Plan to be highly active the first 2 weeks |
| Mass invite blast | Personal invitations to hand-picked people |
| No clear first action for new members | Pin clear "do this first" instructions |
Task-Specific Questions
- Do you have an existing audience you can tap for founding members?
- What's your target launch date?
- How many hours per week can you invest in the first month?
- Is this a brand new community or a relaunch?
- What's the one thing you want members to do in their first 24 hours?
Related Skills
- community-strategy: For overall strategy before launching
- platform-selection: For choosing the right platform
- member-onboarding: For designing the new member experience
- engagement-programs: For establishing recurring rituals
- community-culture: For setting the right tone from day one
- community-growth: For scaling after successful launch
