on community

I sum up people like Mauskopf with the term “quiet influencer.” These are people who aren’t trying to draw attention to themselves but can find a following online because of their ability to listen and absorb information. When they do share, it’s to educate, inform, or entertain others, not to build up their egos.

Nearly 80% of founders reported building a community of users as important to their business, with 28% describing it as their moat and critical to their success.

Community-driven growth creates a flywheel effect:

1. You create value for the community.


2. The community drives engagement and insight.


3. That engagement fuels product improvement, advocacy, and new business.


4. New members join, and the flywheel spins faster.

This is not a one-off campaign. It’s a system for sustained scalable growth .

The art lies in creating conversation starters that generate peer-to-peer discussions rather than promotional responses.

In micro-communities, content acts as currency. Members consume it for immediate value and share it to enhance their reputation as thought leaders.

The Orbit Model Community Engagement Framework (2024) defines four engagement levels:

1. Observer (passive consumption of content)


2. Participant (occasional interaction and feedback)


3. Contributor (regular active participation)


4. Advocate (proactive engagement and community leadership)

Content is the heart of every successful B2B community.

Start with a clearly defined community type that addresses your most pressing business problem, and systematically expand your community portfolio from there.