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.
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.
i am very grateful everyone who came to my talk at fwb fest and those who helped me out with it recently. in some ways this talk took 6 years to put together.
the basic theory of "lifestyles," identity, and brands was there by 2016, but i was missing a strong notion of culture