Unlocking Success Through Community: How Tech Founders Are Rewriting the Playbook
In the ever-evolving landscape of tech entrepreneurship, founders are discovering that the path to success isn't solely paved with conventional growth strategies and support systems. Instead, they're finding them within thriving communities. Through intimate conversations with startup founders like Jostein Aksnes of Seven Peaks, Krish Sridhar of KNOW, and Jonathan Low of Ajourney, we uncover how these communities are reshaping the trajectory of tech startups.
1. A good place to stand out - The Role of Communities in a Noisy World
Jostein Aksnes, CEO and Founder of Seven Peaks, embarked on a journey in 2017 to foster a tech ecosystem in Bangkok. What began as a desire to give back to the community quickly evolved into a vibrant network of knowledge-sharing events like Seven Peaks Speaks and BKK Web. Aksnes highlights the intrinsic value of these gatherings, stating, "We wanted to get the community together, allowing our team and other experts to share experiences and knowledge with a wider audience. In turn, it's helping to build brand awareness, and thought leadership for our company”
”In turn, it's helping to build brand awareness, and thought leadership for our company”
- Jostein Aksnes, CEO and Founder of Seven Peaks
Krish Sridhar, Founder of KNOW, a platform helping companies improve operations and communication with their frontline workers, weighs in on the challenges of navigating a very noisy world, especially in a landscape where traditional channels are inundated with noise, communities are rapidly becoming a good place to stand out.
Drawing inspiration from "McKinsey’s: A Better Way to Build a Brand: The Community Flywheel," founders can delve deeper into the concept of community-driven growth. The article explores how brands can leverage community engagement to create a virtuous cycle of brand advocacy, user-generated content, and organic growth. By fostering strong relationships and fostering a sense of belonging, startups can cultivate loyal communities that fuel sustainable growth.
2. Harnessing Collective Wisdom - The Community Advantage
"They're very transparent about sharing playbooks, about sharing best practices... it's not just sharing at a very high level,"
- Krish Sridhar, Founder of KNOW
For Krish, being a member of Sea Founders and SaaSBoomi communities have been game-changers. He emphasizes the benefits of these communities, citing the forums as safe spaces for vulnerability and the curated network as a goldmine of real-world knowledge. "The forums are a place for becoming like this safe space for you to be vulnerable...you get knowledge and practical advice on things which you otherwise would not be able to get," he shares.
Additionally, Krish sheds light on the transparency and tactical insights offered by the SaaSBoomi community. "They're very transparent about sharing playbooks, about sharing best practices... it's not just sharing at a very high level," he explains. For example he learned how one founder scaled revenue from $1M to $4M ARR in 12 months by implementing specific channel and sales strategies shared at the event.
3. Overcoming Challenges - Community Support in Action
Jonathan Low, Founder of Ajourney and a YCombinator alum, underscores the impact of the YC community on startup growth trajectories. Low highlights the spirit of giving back within the YC alumni network, noting how invaluable it was to receive guidance and support during pivotal moments of his startup journey.
“Many times, the issues that we are facing are not unique, and someone has the learnings to share,"
- Jonathan Low, Founder of Ajourney and a YCombinator alum
In addition to mentorship and guidance, Low emphasizes the significance of resources like office hours and internal forums provided by YCombinator. "We've found office hours to be helpful and instructive in diagnosing issues... Many times, the issues that we are facing are not unique, and someone has learnings to share," Low shares.
As for Krish, one of his biggest challenges as a Founder is scaling a global B2B SaaS business out of Singapore. Learning from other SEA Founders colleagues — often even over casual beers — helped think through this problem from first principles and using other examples from the region
4. Expanding Horizons: The Community-Driven Future
As tech founders continue to harness the power of community for growth and innovation, the future holds promising opportunities. From hosting tech conferences to fostering specialized sub-communities, like the bootstrap founders' groups within SaaSBoomi, the horizon is ripe with possibilities.
In the words of Jostein Aksnes, "Looking to the future, we envision the community evolving to further support our business expansion." With each interaction, insight, and shared experience, tech founders are rewriting the playbook, proving that in the interconnected world of entrepreneurship, community is the ultimate catalyst for growth
But what makes a successful community?
Purpose and Clarity: There needs to be a shared angle or reason for people to join and clearly articulated and understood by the members such as being alumni of a school or building startups in a region or a passion for something.
Leadership and Engagement: The community needs to be active and engaged with dedicated community leaders responsible for fostering engagement, facilitating discussions, and maintaining a positive atmosphere. Figma is a shining example of growth through a vibrant community
Significant Scale and Impact: The community needs to achieve a certain scale, like SaaSBoomi growing from 100 to 2000 members, for there to be enough engagement and data points to be meaningful.
From Bangkok to Silicon Valley, the stories of Jostein Aksnes, Krish Sridhar, and Jon Low illustrate the transformative impact of communities on startup trajectories. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: in the journey of entrepreneurship, community is not just a support system—it's the driving force behind innovation, growth, and collective success.
References:
https://www.upsilonit.com/blog/how-to-build-a-startup-community
https://www.notboring.co/p/the-abcs-of-bravado
https://review.firstround.com/the-5-phases-of-figmas-community-led-growth-from-stealth-to-enterprise/