| name | community-building |
| description | Build and grow online communities across all platforms and contexts — from developer/B2B communities (Discord, Slack, Circle, Discourse) to social communities (Twitter/X, Reddit, Farcaster) to crypto/holder communities (Telegram). Covers strategy, platform selection, channel architecture, member journey mapping, onboarding, engagement rituals, ambassador/champions programs, moderation, governance, growth, retention, crisis management, and metrics.
Use for: community-led growth, community strategy, developer community, user community, Discord/Slack/forum/Telegram setup, ambassador programs, community health, holder psychology, engagement systems, social community building, cross-platform coordination.
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| metadata | {"version":"2.0.0","category":"Marketing"} |
Community Building
Workspace Context
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.
Operating Contract
This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.
Build communities that turn members into believers and believers into advocates.
Scope
Covers
- Community strategy (goal, members, value exchange, movement thesis)
- Platform selection: home base + outposts (Discord, Slack, Circle, Discourse, Telegram, Twitter/X, Reddit, Farcaster)
- Channel architecture, onboarding, and activation
- Programming/rituals and ambassador/champions programs
- Governance, moderation, and crisis management
- Holder psychology and retention engineering (crypto/token communities)
- Social community building across Twitter/X, Reddit, Farcaster, forums
- Measurement and community health
When NOT to use
- You haven't defined ICP/positioning (use
brand-messaging-and-positioning first)
- You want paid acquisition (ads/creative) rather than community
- You want to spam/scrape DMs or manipulate members
- You need customer support ops overhaul (ticketing/SLAs) more than community
Community Philosophy
Great communities are built on three pillars:
- Shared purpose — Members need a reason bigger than the product
- Genuine connection — People stay for people, not features
- Member empowerment — The best communities run themselves
Community vs Audience
| Dimension | Audience | Community |
|---|
| Direction | One to many | Many to many |
| Value | From creator | From each other |
| Ownership | Creator owns | Members co-own |
| Content | Creator produces | Members produce |
| Retention | Content-dependent | Relationship-dependent |
| Scalability | Linear | Network effects |
Core Frameworks
The Community Flywheel
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ ATTRACT │───▶│ ACTIVATE │───▶│ ENGAGE │ │
│ │ (Reach) │ │ (Value) │ │ (Habit) │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ ADVOCATE │ │ │
│ └──────────│ (Amplify)│◀─────────┘ │
│ └──────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Community Maturity Model
| Stage | Size | Characteristics | Focus |
|---|
| Nascent | <100 | Founder-led | 1:1 conversations, manual everything |
| Growing | 100–1,000 | Early champions emerge | Systems, rituals, first programs |
| Scaling | 1,000–10,000 | Self-sustaining activity | Governance, moderation, delegation |
| Mature | 10,000+ | Community-led initiatives | Sub-communities, ecosystem |
The 1-9-90 Rule
- 1% create content (Creators)
- 9% engage with content (Contributors)
- 90% consume content (Lurkers)
Goal: Move people up the engagement ladder, not force everyone to create.
Member Journey
Aware → Join → Lurk → First Post → Regular Contributor → Champion → Ambassador
| Stage | Goal | Key Metric |
|---|
| Lurker | First interaction | Post/reply count |
| Newcomer | Find value, connect | Retention D7 |
| Regular | Form habits, contribute | Weekly active |
| Champion | Lead initiatives | Content created |
| Ambassador | Represent externally | Referrals, reach |
Inputs
Minimum required
- Product + category + ICP (who it's for)
- Primary community goal (pick 1): support, activation, retention, advocacy/UGC, product feedback, moving upmarket
- Target members (roles/seniority) and where they already gather
- Resources: owner, hours/week, budget, moderators/SMEs
- Existing assets: email list, social following, events, partners
- Constraints: compliance/privacy, brand voice, moderation risk tolerance
Missing-info strategy
- Ask up to 5 questions from references/INTAKE.md (3–5 at a time)
- Proceed with explicit assumptions if critical inputs missing; provide 2–3 options with tradeoffs
Platform Selection
Platform Comparison
| Platform | Best For | Key Strength | Key Weakness |
|---|
| Discord | Gaming, dev, real-time | Rich features, free | Overwhelming UX |
| Slack | Professional, B2B | Familiar, searchable | Expensive at scale |
| Circle | Courses, creators | Clean UX, courses | Less real-time |
| Discourse | Long-form, async | SEO, knowledge base | Old-school feel |
| GitHub Discussions | Open source, devs | Code integration | Limited features |
| Reddit | Public discovery | SEO, scale | Less control |
| Telegram | Crypto/token holders | Real-time, bots | Limited moderation |
Platform Architecture
Discord (larger projects)
INFORMATION: #announcements #faq #roadmap #rules
COMMUNITY: #general #price-talk #memes #introductions
ALPHA (role-gated): #whale-chat #og-lounge #team-updates
SUPPORT: #help #report-scams #suggestions
VOICE: General VC, AMA Stage
Telegram (token/crypto communities)
[Main Group] — Public chat, price bot, welcome message, active mods
[Announcements] — One-way official updates only
[Alpha/Holders] — Token-gated, exclusive content, direct team access
[International] — CN/KR/JP with local mods (if needed)
Essential Bots: Price bot, Buy bot (celebrate purchases), Holder verification, Anti-spam/scam, Welcome bot.
Social Platform Strategies
Twitter/X: Reach and real-time discussion. Twitter Spaces for live audio, threads for depth, quote tweets for community amplification.
Reddit: Long-form depth and discovery. Build a subreddit or participate in existing ones. SEO benefit from indexed discussions.
Farcaster: Crypto-native audience, frames for interactive content, native to web3 culture.
Forums (Discourse, etc.): Long-form async knowledge base, SEO-indexed, permanent resource for members.
Workflow (8 Steps)
1) Intake + Pick Primary Job-to-be-Done
- Inputs: User prompt; references/INTAKE.md
- Actions: Confirm ICP, define primary goal, identify where community already gathers, list constraints
- Outputs: Context snapshot + assumptions/TBDs list
- Check: You can finish: "In 8–12 weeks, this community will _____ for _____, measured by _____."
2) Define the Movement + Value Exchange
- Inputs: Product POV, category beliefs, member motivations
- Actions: Write community thesis: worldview/philosophy, what you stand for, what you're "against." Define give/get value exchange.
- Outputs: Community thesis + value exchange
- Check: Thesis is non-generic (can't fit any random company); value exchange includes concrete benefits and contributions
3) Choose Community Model + Map Member Journey
- Inputs: Primary goal, member needs, resources
- Actions: Choose model (support, learning, networking, advocacy, co-creation). Map journey with "first win" moments per stage.
- Outputs: Community model + journey map + metrics
- Check: Each stage has a designed "first win" and a measurable signal
4) Go Where They Already Are (Home Base + Outposts)
- Inputs: Where members already are; moderation/capacity constraints
- Actions: Select home base for 6–12 months. Define outposts (social, events, partner spaces). Create influencer/social-graph shortlist.
- Outputs: Platform plan + outpost playbook + influencer shortlist
- Check: Every outpost has a value-first contribution plan and an owner
5) Seed the Community (Cohort, Onboarding, Content)
- Inputs: Platform plan; existing assets; member criteria
- Actions: Design initial seed cohort (25–100 members). Create onboarding flow, welcome messages, starter threads, seeding schedule. Draft outreach scripts.
- Outputs: Seeding plan + onboarding checklist + outreach scripts
- Check: The "empty room problem" is solved — content, prompts, and people lined up for week 1
Onboarding ritual (first 48 hours):
- Welcome DM with "Start Here" guide
- Prompt to post in
#introductions
- React to their intro post (human touch)
- Share one quick win they can get from the community
6) Program Rituals + Events (4–8 Week Calendar)
- Inputs: Member journey; thesis; capacity
- Actions: Build recurring rituals (AMAs, office hours, show-and-tell, challenges). Mix staff-led and member-led moments.
- Outputs: Programming & rituals calendar + event templates
Weekly engagement calendar:
| Day | Theme | Activities |
|---|
| Monday | Mission/Goals | Weekly goals, roadmap updates |
| Tuesday | Educational | Alpha sharing, tips, how-tos |
| Wednesday | Member Spotlight | Champion recognition, community wins |
| Thursday | Throwback/Story | Origin story, OG moments, milestones |
| Friday | Engagement | Partnership teasers, community events |
| Saturday | Growth | Community raids, meme contests, referrals |
| Sunday | Strategy | Market analysis, community AMAs |
Daily loop: Morning greeting + poll → Midday content + news → Evening recap + tomorrow's preview.
7) Launch Ambassador/Champions Program (Optional, Recommended)
- Inputs: Early active members; desired scaled behaviors
- Actions: Define qualification criteria, responsibilities, recognition/perks, feedback loop. Keep lightweight (v1), ethical (no pay-for-spam).
- Outputs: Ambassador/champions program spec (v1)
- Check: Incentives align to desired behaviors (helpfulness, creation, referrals), not vanity metrics
Recognition system:
- Public shoutouts for helpful members
- Badges or roles for milestones
- Leaderboard or "Member of the Month"
- Early access to features or beta programs
8) Governance + Measurement + Quality Gate
Moderation & Governance
Community rules (keep to 5–7):
- Be respectful — no harassment, hate speech, or personal attacks
- Stay on topic — keep discussions relevant
- No spam or self-promotion without permission
- Share knowledge freely — help each other
- Protect privacy — no sharing others' personal info
- Report issues — use report function or DM mods
Enforcement ladder: Warning → Temporary mute → Permanent ban.
Moderator responsibilities: Daily check-in (15 min), respond to reports within 24h, escalate edge cases to community lead.
Crisis Management (Especially for Token Communities)
FUD Response Levels
| Level | Source | Response | Timeline |
|---|
| 1 — Minor | No-following account | Community handles; mods monitor | Hours |
| 2 — Moderate | Some-reach account | Mod statement + optional team clarification | 1–2 hours |
| 3 — Major | Major account or coordinated | Official team statement + pinned message | 30 min |
| 4 — Critical | Actual exploit or viral negative | All-hands, full transparency everywhere | Immediately |
Crisis Response Template
TEAM STATEMENT: [Topic]
We're aware of [concern].
THE FACTS:
- [Fact 1]
- [Fact 2]
OUR RESPONSE: [What we're doing]
EVIDENCE: [Links to proof/data]
We remain committed to [mission]. Questions? We're here.
Retention Tactics
General retention:
- Monthly digest email with top content
- Re-engagement campaign for inactive members (30-day lapse)
- Regular "bring a friend" referral moments
Token/holder community retention:
- Diamond hand cultivation: public commitments, holding anniversaries, "Day 1" badges
- Dip buying culture: celebrate dip buyers loudly; "sale" framing for price drops
- Multi-bag culture: "This AND that" — avoid forcing either/or decisions
Key Metrics
| Category | Metrics | Healthy Target |
|---|
| Growth | New members, referral rate, churn rate | — |
| Engagement | DAU/MAU, posts per member, response time | DAU/MAU >20% |
| Health | Sentiment, helpful answers, retention | Monthly retention >80% |
| Value | NPS, support deflection, product influence | NPS >50 |
Health signals:
- DAU/MAU <10% → trigger re-engagement campaign
- Top 10 members account for >80% of posts → run "new voices" initiative
Community Health Report Template
COMMUNITY HEALTH REPORT | Period: [Week/Month]
GROWTH: Total Members [+/-X%] | New Joins | Departures
ENGAGEMENT: Messages (7d) | Unique Chatters | Peak Activity | Score [X/10]
SENTIMENT: Long-term Holders >30d [X%] | Toxicity Level [Low/Med/High]
MODERATION: Bans | Warnings | Scam Attempts Blocked
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. [Action] 2. [Action] 3. [Action]
HEALTH SCORE: [X]/100
Community-Led Growth (CLG) Quick Reference
| Motion | Description | Best For |
|---|
| Community-Assisted | Community supports product users | Support deflection |
| Community-Qualified | Leads emerge from community | B2B, enterprise |
| Community-Distributed | Growth through member networks | Viral products |
| Community-Created | Members build on platform | Platforms, APIs |
Anti-Patterns
- Build it and they will come — Communities require constant nurturing, especially early
- Metrics over meaning — Vanity metrics don't equal healthy community
- Over-engineering early — Start simple, add complexity as needed
- Ignoring lurkers — 90% of your community provides value by consuming
- Founder absence — Early communities need visible leadership
- Feature obsession — People join for people, not features
- Forced engagement — Authentic connection beats gamification
- Scaling too fast — Growth without engagement destroys community
- Neglecting moderation — One bad actor can poison the well
- Spam/DM blasts — Never auto-DM or manipulate members
Outputs (Community Building Pack)
Produce in this order:
- Context snapshot + assumptions/TBDs
- Community thesis (movement/philosophy), target members, value exchange
- Community model + member journey + success metrics
- Platform plan (home base + outposts) + influencer/social-graph shortlist
- 30/60/90 plan (seeding, onboarding, activation) + outreach scripts
- Programming & rituals calendar (first 4–8 weeks)
- Ambassador/champions program v1 (criteria, responsibilities, recognition)
- Governance & moderation (rules, enforcement, escalation, safety)
- Measurement plan + weekly ops cadence
- Risks / Open questions / Next steps (always included)
Templates: references/TEMPLATES.md
Expanded guidance: references/WORKFLOW.md
Quality Gate (Required)
Examples
Developer tool: "Use community-building. Product: observability SDK for TypeScript. ICP: senior full-stack engineers at startups. Goal: accelerate activation + word-of-mouth. Considering Discord. Resources: 1 community lead (8 hrs/week). Output: Community Building Pack with platform plan, 6-week programming calendar, ambassador program."
B2B SaaS moving upmarket: "We sell a team knowledge base to 200–2000 person companies. We want community-led growth to reduce enterprise perceived risk. Design home base + outpost plan, seed cohort strategy, and 30/60/90 plan with metrics."
Token/crypto community: "Building a Telegram community for our token launch. Need holder psychology framework, weekly engagement calendar, crisis management protocol, and launch checklist."
Social community: "We want to build a Twitter/X and Reddit presence for our developer tool community. Design a cross-platform social community strategy with engagement rituals and growth playbook."
