Silicon Valley is abuzz with phrases such as ‘Social Maps’ , ‘Community builders’, ‘connecting people’, all to achieve a goal, connect people to people. Many communities and social networks have come and gone. Very few social groups, networks, or communities stick around to become a big hit. I don’t mean big hit in terms of it’s monetary valuation, or the amount of VC dollar’s it attracts. For me, however much dollars and cents is a worthwhile pursuit communities aren’t built on green backs alone. No amount of money in the world can build a lasting, sustainable community of people. You can pump all the VC dollars available into social ventures, however if you don’t have what it takes, then people wont settle in your little neck of the woods or as the Urdu saying goes, in your “dair inch kee Masjid”.
So what if you have the fancy lettering on the wall. You can be Facebook, MySpace, or bebo shebo - for all I care all these sites are nothing but fancy Rolodex. They are great community building tools, I won’t deny that. However, they in no way can be referred to as communities. Your average run of the mill Silicon Valley executive would have you believe otherwise, may even attempt to teach you a few “Community Building” tips.
Please, spare me - as the average Silicon Valley executive, sitting in his fancy Corporate office knows squat when it comes to community building. All he, or she can do is strum up some fancy PowerPoint deck, impress a few of their corporate buddies, and maybe, if they’re lucky impress a VC or two on the way - before you know it, they are on their way to becoming the next Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet - worth Billions. But that doesn’t imply mastery over the ABC of community building, no?
Community building is an art, an art only someone with a passion, and genuine interest in people can accomplish. The true weight in gold isn’t in how much Series A funding you have, nor is it in any fancy degree you have your name pinned too. Community building is something deeper than all that.
So what is the secret? How does one build a community, not a community around a product such as the iPhone enthusiasts - as this is also, according to the dictionary definition classified as a community, like a community of Entrepreneurs, that frequently are found to flock around some big name who apparently is a Guru in his, or her space.
There is no denying the fact that these aren’t communities. However, they are short lived. What will be of the community of Entrepreneurs when say the Big Name Guru of theirs dies of, what about when Apple or someone else comes up with something way cooler than the iPhone? Will these communities still exist, perhaps, but I doubt with the same voracity as they initially had.
So, how do you build a sustainable community?
Stay tuned to WadiBlog, right here on Wadiwallah.com - the Community Side of Silicon Valley to learn about “The Art of Community Building - Part 2″…
