In this episode, we’re hearing from Curious in Colorado. Our letter today deals with knowing whether jumping onto the community train is worthwhile by understanding the future of community building.
To better help Curious in Colorado, I invited Zach Hawtof, Co-Founder, Community Manager, and CEO at Tightknit, as my guest expert. He is someone who has extensive experience building community, and not only thinks a lot about where community building is headed, but is also building the future of community platforms on Slack himself with his company.
In this episode:
(04:03) The evolution of community building over the last 10 years
(07:14) Curious in Colorado’s letter: “Where is this trend headed?”
(08:21) Why offline connection always wins—and what that means for digital spaces
(12:12) Building community where your people already are
(13:47) The cheat code for engagement (hint: it’s not better automation)
(19:18) Why Slack isn’t a community platform… and why it absolutely is
(21:12) How to become “psychic” about your members’ needs
(24:51) Following the breadcrumb trail and building what you know
(32:33) Asking better questions—and really listening to the answers
(36:08) Why some members just aren’t ready (and that’s okay)
(39:34) The overlooked challenges of the community industry
(41:13) What AI means for the future of online connection
Get the unfiltered side of the conversation, where Zach shares his biggest mistake, a Slack channel name you’ll want to steal, and the one word he’d give to his younger self. Get it here!
Resources Mentioned:
Join the Tightknit Community.
My episode with Noelle Flowers, Where is the best place to build my community?
2024 CMX Community Industry Trends Report (Page 17).
Sign up for Heartbeat. My go-to all-in-one community platform.
Join Ember. For coaches, consultants & creators building paid communities
Zach Hawtof
🖥️ Website
Bri Leever
🖥️ Website
📹 Youtube
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