Inspiration for Experimenting with Community
Some silly real-world examples of low-stakes experimentation to inspire you to take action.
You get an idea of a new thing you want to try in your business or community. It can be a new community program like accountability groups, a new business structure altogether like going from group coaching to a membership, or even starting an online business for the first time.
If you’re anything like me or the lovely people I talk to, your first instinct after having the idea is one of these:
Put the idea away and spend 3 years just thinking about it.
Ask your friends for advice, get conflicting feedback, and do nothing.
Hire a whole team of consultants, buy expensive software, and start planning how you can get Beyoncé to perform at the launch party.
Launching something new generates understandable fear. And that fear can make us act in a way that doesn’t serve the idea and doesn’t move us forward in getting real data.
The answer is to always follow an idea with an experiment.
Whether you’re just starting an online business or have been in business for 10 years and want to try something new, launching a beta version, a pilot program, or version 1 of what you’re thinking is the best way to test your idea.
You’ve heard this before. We all know this. And we could use some inspiration to take that next step.
Thinking outside the online business and community spaces, our world is full of experiments and purposefully low-stakes experiences. As inspiration for you and your next experiment, here are five random ones along with what each has to teach us as it relates to online business.
Dive Bar
This analogy inspired the rest of these and it was made by Jillian Benbow from SPI when I was on The Community Experience Podcast a few months back. You can listen to the clip here:
As I get a little closer to starting the Beta for my #ProductHunt course I get reminded of this clip from the Community Experience Podcast with @JillianB & @tatfig pic.twitter.com/zkxRSr0E1x
— Maxwell Davis 💯 (@maxwellcdavis) May 18, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The stakes at a dive bar are low. You get a cold drink, some strangers to talk to, and not much else. Despite (or because of) limited menu options and rickety furniture, it’s a place where all kinds of people feel comfortable.
Principle: Friendliness is 10x more important than fancy bells and whistles. Casual spaces allow people to put their guard down.
Exhibition Game
In soccer, an exhibition game, or friendly match, is an “event whose prize money and impact on the player's or the team's rankings is either zero or otherwise greatly reduced.”
Friendlies are a great time to test different lineups, try risky plays, and even show off a little. If it doesn’t work, the team learns from it and moves on.
Principle: Don’t be afraid to try new things during an experiment. Because it’s a limited-time commitment for you and your customers, you don’t have to continue anything if it doesn’t work.
Pilot Episode
In the TV world, before a full series order is made, the network will often order a pilot episode.
It’s the first episode that introduces the characters, a few storylines and teases at the overall thesis of the season. It’s a gateway into the rest of the series.
Principle: Design your experiment so that it is both satisfying on its own and builds curiosity for what’s to come. Whatever you offer, should feel complete to your beta members, and it should entice them to go deeper with you.
Soft Opening
Before a restaurant officially opens to the public, there’s often a soft opening. It’s a period when there’s a smaller, invite-only crowd. It’s a time to test out the operations, train staff and also build buzz for an eventual public grand opening.
Principle: Approach your experiment as an introduction of your business to a small, interested group. Use the opportunity to gather testimonials, test your systems, and make adjustments before scaling up to a larger audience.
Shitty First Draft
Shitty first draft is a concept from Anne Lamott in her book about writing, Bird by Bird. If you already know your first draft won’t be perfect, it makes it easier to write it. And by having something on the page, you build up the momentum to improve it.
It’s a technique to overcome perfectionism and get something out fast.
Principle: Embrace imperfection and don't be afraid to launch with an unpolished first version. The quicker you get your experiment in front of people, the sooner you’ll learn what’s right and wrong about it.
I hope these silly examples are little nudges to inspire you take a tiny leap in whatever project you're working on.
If you have an idea or are feeling a pull towards bringing community into your business, we’d love to help you develop it into a beta experience that is right for you and your members.
Join us at an upcoming masterclass:
🎟 Advanced Masterclass: Centering Community to Boost Your Online Business
🎟 Masterclass: Starting a Community Business from Scratch