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EXCELLENCE
Excellence Business
EXCELLENCE BUSINESS

Build a Community That Lasts

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LEVEL 1 · 0/3LEVEL 2 · 0/3LEVEL 3 · 0/3LEVEL 4 · 0/3LEVEL 5 · 0/3START
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Turn an audience into a community people come back to (seeded with connected people, rules newcomers can see, moderation that explains, power that's shared and replies with warmth) from field experiments and large studies of online communities.

2h 56m5 constellations
AT THE SUMMIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

01Seed a community with connected people, and plan for the readers who never post

02Welcome newcomers with visible rules and kind correction

03Moderate in proportion: explained removals, graduated sanctions, removal when needed

04Share power with members and moderators, and track four health numbers

Every lesson of Build a Community That Lasts

15 lessons in 5 levels, about 3 hours. Level 1 is free.

Level 1From Audience to CommunityFree · 3 lessons
  1. Audience or community?Know what makes a community different from an audience, and why ties between members matter.11 min
  2. The 1% who writeKnow how participation is really spread, and plan for the readers who never post.12 min
  3. Checkpoint: seed it with connected peopleLaunch with clusters of people who already know each other.12 min
Level 2Welcome NewcomersMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Make the rules visibleUse visible community rules to raise newcomers' participation and good behavior.11 min
  2. Don't bite the newcomersSee how quality control drove newcomers away from Wikipedia, and design a gentler first experience.12 min
  3. Checkpoint: a newcomer's first postHandle a newcomer's rule-breaking first post so they stay, and learn the rule.12 min
Level 3Moderate With CareMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Explain every removalUse removal explanations to cut repeat problems, even automated ones.11 min
  2. Start low, step upRespond in proportion: start low, escalate for repeats, and settle conflicts fast.12 min
  3. Checkpoint: when removal is the answerKnow what removing and quarantining toxic groups did on Reddit, and what it didn't.12 min
Level 4Share the PowerMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Ostrom's principles for your communityTurn Ostrom's design principles into questions for your own community.11 min
  2. Give members a sayChange a rule with members, not against them.12 min
  3. Checkpoint: look after your moderatorsCount the hidden work of moderation, and share it out.12 min
Level 5Make It LastMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Warmth keeps peopleKnow what kind of replies kept members in a large support community.11 min
  2. Measure community healthTrack four numbers that show whether your community is alive.12 min
  3. Capstone: your community playbookPut purpose, rules, welcome, moderation, governance and health into one page.13 min
FREE

Level 1 is open.

Membership opens every other level of this path.

See membership
AFTER THE CORE

Keep going where this path leads.

Build Your First 1,000 True FansRituals that bring fans back · 3h 43m
Make Videos People FinishComments, boundaries and safety · 3h 31m