How I Believe 1,000 People Can Change the World: A Founder’s Journey
You know, I’ve always believed that with just 1,000 passionate people, you can change the world. Sounds a bit wild, right? But think about it. The American Revolution? A bunch of passionate colonists. The Renaissance? A few brilliant minds lighting up Europe. The Me Too movement? Brave voices united for a cause. Even January 6th, though controversial, showed the sheer power of a dedicated few. What do all these movements have in common? Two things:
- Passion.
- The ability to communicate rapidly.
Here’s how you can apply the power of these movements to your own startup
Step 1: Finding Your 20 Passionate Lunatics
I remember in the early days of my startup, Shine. I’m juggling about a million things, and sales & product development seem to slowly slog along. Reading Seth Godin's Tribes caused me to realize I need a core group of crazies. Not just any crazies, but those who are head-over-heels in love with our product. I started with 20 people. Why 20? Because it’s manageable, and trust me, managing passionate folks can be like herding cats.
Who were these lunatics? They were our first investors, those users who constantly nagged our support team with weird and wonderful requests, journalists who got what we were trying to do, friends who might not have cared about our mission but cared about me, and yes, my ever-supportive mom and dad. I made sure I had their contact details — email, LinkedIn, SMS, whatever worked.
Step 2: Connecting the Dots
Next, I needed to connect these folks. I chose a Facebook private group. Why Facebook? Because everyone knows how to use it. Even my grandma can navigate Facebook. For B2B folks, Facebook works surprisingly well. Sure, LinkedIn has its private groups, but messages there tend to vanish into the ether.
I invited my core group to join this private community, offering them VIP treatment — an inside look and access to our executive team. People love feeling like they’re part of an exclusive club. I threw in some free products, giveaways, and early access to beta features. They loved it.
Step 3: Feeding the Content Beast
Now, here’s where it gets fun (and a bit daunting). Keeping a community engaged is like feeding a very hungry beast. But you’re already creating content. Think about it: screen shares of beta features, polls about new ideas, asking for their opinions on decisions, sharing relevant news articles, even seeking their help in recruiting.
One of my favorite tricks? Hosting live events on our page. An AMA with the founder (yours truly) where I answer their burning questions. It’s a crowd-pleaser and gets everyone buzzing.
Step 4: Adding More Passionate People
With some chatter going, it’s time to add more members. I brought in more customers, deal champions, colleagues, and friends. I didn’t stress about negative comments — I could delete them and keep the vibe positive. This community wasn’t just about maintaining the status quo; it was about turning good customers into die-hard fans. Passion is infectious, after all.
Step 5: Rinse and Repeat
I kept experimenting with different types of content and added new people each week. The goal was simple: add 10 people per week. It might sound small, but like compound interest, it adds up fast.
Step 6: Opening the Floodgates
When our community hit about 1,000 members, it was time to go public. I invited prospective customers and leads. The beauty of this? Our loyal fan base addressed their concerns better than any sales pitch ever could. This peer-to-peer interaction did wonders for our deal velocity.
Never Too Early, Never Too Late
Building a community takes effort, especially at the start. But soon, it becomes one of the most rewarding parts of your marketing and sales strategy. So, whether you’re just starting or looking to expand, remember this: with 1,000 passionate people, you really can change the world. Or at the very least, you can give it a good shake. So, are you ready to build your movement? Let’s get started!
