Community Design

To me, a membership is something you pay for to get access to a benefit you’re after. That benefit can be a community of your peers, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, you might have a Costco membership, which gives you access to the store, but there’s no Costco community.

People join communities for benefits, not belonging. They want to learn something new, to achieve a goal, to grow status, to be entertained, to have fun, etc. They only find and value belonging after they've been a member and formed relationships.