Short Lessons in Community Management - It’s For EVERYONE

Building a coworking space has obviously given me some serious insight into community management: how to curate, maintain, cater, and - most importantly - add value.  I feel it would be great to share a few lessons that I have learned with you because...

1. Community management is for everyone. Whether you have a coworking space or an app that cures baldness, your customers are your community.  If you do not recognize this, then you are not managing your community properly and your customers will leave.

2. Your community will be your best salespeople. In the social technology world we live in it does not take much to tell others how you feel - good or bad. If you manage your community properly, and you have the proper tools within your business, your customers will share their experience with others, driving attention to your product or service. If they are not doing this, there's something wrong.

3. Early adopters are key. I encourage you to go back (if you have not already) and read Malcolm Gladwell's “The Tipping Point”. It is extremely important for you to recognise the influencers in your target market and go after them. Throw the world at them, give them your shit for free (at least). These may even be the people you want on your advisory board. If they have a problem with your product, LISTEN. Which brings me to:

4. LISTEN UP FUCKERS. If you are not listening to your community, you are not managing it properly. Many times founders of companies get so stuck on their way of doing things they disregard what is really happening with their community. Your community may need a change for them to feel more comfortable with something, or for them to be more productive… ASK THEM.  Your product is not for you, it’s for them. Build shit people want, not what YOU want. Unless you want to be your only customer.

5. Add VALUE. Think outside the box on this one. How do you add more value to your community?  A/B testing is great for this, you need to put on a lab coat and be a crazy scientist. Study your community.  If you can add more value to whatever it is that you do, the chances are that your community is going to stick around and share that experience, which will increase retention and social sharing.  The saying is true: “The more you give, the more you get.” Or something like that.

There are many other lessons I have learned over the years. However I would have to write a whole book. I feel that, given the advice that the startups I advise seek out, these lessons are the most relevant. If you have any questions that you would like me to answer, please feel free to email me at jason@alleyNYC.com. I love helping and sharing the things I have learned.

Carry on friends,

Jason

The State of Coworking

The State of Coworking

With GA closing its coworking department, and the abrupt news of 3rd Ward shutting its doors,  a ton of people  are asking me questions like, “Is this a sign of the market?” or “How is AlleyNYC doing?” I felt it would be a good idea to give you my thoughts on the current state of coworking, from a coworking owner and operator point of view.

First of all, coworking is a huge undertaking. It’s like managing real estate to the 12th degree. With hundreds of personalities, managing expectations, and putting on events, it’s fucking NUTS.  For GA to decide that their efforts are best spent managing the education aspect of their business, I feel that is totally viable and responsible choice.  Those classes are creating jobs and providing an affordable, actionable education to people that will change the world. Rock on, GA, rock on. I’m not going to lie: 3rd Ward was a total shock.  But it’s like walking past a packed restaurant one week, then the next week they are out of business:

You do not have an inside look at any business unless you are on the inside.

With all that said, coworking is not a huge money maker.  If you are not careful with your community, and managing your bills, you don’t have a snowball's chance in hell of being successful.  If you are acutely attentive to your community, and provide as much value as possible for the builders of startup businesses that take space, then you will find out really quickly if your business is going to be a business for long. One word: For everyone and everything, we aspire to offer VALUE. Value all around -- for the community, for the individuals, for the space, for the sponsors and strategic partners. VALUE, VALUE, VALUE.

If you are creating value, and you have an awesome space with a great community, there is no telling how far you can go with it. Major Fortune 100 companies are just now looking into coworking as an option for their innovation teams. Consumer Reports works out of our space, and they are awesome.  

We are experiencing what I like to call an “entrepreneurial renaissance.”  Every startup needs an affordable space to work, where they can grow their business in a collaborative, supportive environment. We (AlleyNYC) are growing everyday. We are making sure we stay true to our roots and continue to work towards adding value. To those who are looking for an awesome community, especially those from GA and 3rd Ward, come hang with us. Check us out!  Our community is badass, and we would love to have even more awesome people.

As far as I can see, the state of coworking is FUCKING AWESOME

Carry on,

Jason

Why I Do What I Do

I have been self employed since I was 17 years old. From waiting tables to working on my own business (before startups were “cool”), I always chased “paper,” never thinking of the big picture. In my twenties, I made a ton of money aggregating leads in the real estate/mortgage business. The money poured in. Driving a fancy car, going to fancy dinners, I still was miserable. I’d been chasing money all these years and, once I finally had it, it sucked.  

After the market crashed and I lost literally all of my clients, I decided to get out of dodge for a while and move to sunny South Florida.  I continued my marketing business, assisting in various forms of lead generation, from online to call center marketing. I worked with Fortune 100 companies to grass root, multilevel marketing organizations.

Once again, I was in it for making a shit ton of money and dating as many aspiring cocktail waitresses as possible.  I still felt empty.  As the clock ticks on, you start to realize that this is the only time you have in this life (depending on your beliefs) and I started to think to myself, “What the fuck am I doing wrong?” Answer: Making every business decision based on money. It’s too slippery a slope living for the dollar, so I decided not to do it any longer.  

I began looking for ways of getting involved with things that made my blood flow.  After investing, and co-founding my first tech startup, I took ten steps back from my marketing and lead generation business. I began pitching investors in NYC, and while visiting coworking spaces for pitch events, we had the idea to open up our own coworking space. The thought of opening up a HUGE space in the heart of NYC and sharing my business experiences with like-minded people really excited the shit out of me, and I decided I truly wanted to do it.

After re-reading inspirational books, like Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point, I went on to meet brilliant influencers in the NYC tech/entrepreneurial scene. We hung out, we talked business, we got drunk and bonded like family. After asking them one-by-one to work with me, a community started to form. People started to come in on their own and amazing things started to happen. Co-founders met each other at the office, companies met investors, people started dating.  The place blew up faster than anything I have ever seen and is now a staple in the entrepreneurial/tech environment in the best city in the world.

It was amazing.

Although we have a viable business that potentially will make a ton of money, the money never came first in any of these new decisions. It was all pure heart and being motivated to give brilliant entrepreneurs all the amenities they need to run their business, and to facilitate as many opportunities as possible to connect them with like-minded people.  It’s community collaboration to inspire true innovation, and it’s happening right in front of my face.

Being an entrepreneur is not easy. You are filled with doubt and face many difficult situations. Your friends and family (most of the time) do not even understand what you do. It is a breath of fresh air to be in a room full of people going through the same thing. I came to a conclusion: Community can save your sanity, along with your business.

I am 35 years old and it took me this long to “get it.” Thank goodness I “got it” at all. I love what I do with every step I take in my office and every late night meeting I have to enhance the working environment. I do what I do for true, pure human satisfaction. The companies we help are going to change the world, thus making us an integral part of the process. Money alone cannot buy that, ever.

That’s fucking awesome.