Communities

Run your own community

A small Discord or forum for your users. It turns customers into support, feedback and referrals.

Cost
Free

Free to use. No paid tier is needed to list or post.

Verdict
slow burn

Slow burn: a community needs steady moderation, and it pays off in support and referrals.

Difficulty
Hard

Gatekept or reviewed, or needs an existing audience or reviews first.

Effort
High

About 10 or more hours a month, mostly during launches or a regular posting habit.

First result
2 to 6 months

A rough range for one person working on it part-time.

Payoff
Compounds

keeps growing while you keep at it.

Best for

Products with returning users.

Not for

One-off products.

Pros

  • Customers become support and referrals
  • You own the space

Cons

  • Needs steady moderation
  • Hard to start from zero

The full guide

Last verified 2026-10-30

Links checked 2026-10-30 · No website to check: this channel works by word of mouth or offline

01What it is and who is there

Running your own community means starting a Discord server, Slack group, forum or similar space for your users. Members help each other, give feedback and bring friends. Over time, a community turns customers into support, testers and referrals. It only works once you have users to invite, and it needs steady care.

02Cost and what you actually pay for

Discord and many forum tools have free tiers. Some community platforms are paid; check current pricing. The main cost is your time to moderate, answer and keep conversation going.

03Is it right for you?

It fits products with returning users, such as tools people use weekly, games, creator products and developer tools. It fits poorly for one-off purchases and for products with very few users. An empty community hurts more than none.

04Before you start

  • At least a small group of active users who would join.
  • A platform your users already use, such as Discord for gamers and developers.
  • Simple rules, a welcome message and a few channels.
  • A plan for who answers questions and how fast.

05Step-by-step: how to distribute here

  1. Invite your most active users first, personally.
  2. Start with a few channels: announcements, help, feedback, show-and-tell.
  3. Post product updates there first, before anywhere else.
  4. Answer questions quickly in the early weeks.
  5. Highlight members who help others or share what they built.
  6. Link the community from your product and docs.

06What to post or submit

Invite message:

Hi [name], you're one of our most active users. I'm starting a small [Discord/forum] for people using [product] to share tips and shape what we build next. Want in? [invite link]

Welcome message:

Welcome! This is the place to ask about [product], share what you've built, and tell us what to fix. Rules: be kind, no spam. Start by introducing yourself in #intros.

07Common mistakes and do-nots

  • Do not launch a community with no members to invite.
  • Do not create many channels that stay empty.
  • Do not let questions go unanswered for days.
  • Do not use the community only for announcements.

08How to measure it

  • Track active members per week and messages per week.
  • Track support questions answered by members, not you.
  • Ask new customers if a member referred them.
  • A realistic test: three months after launch.

09Time budget

  • Before: 3 to 5 hours to set up.
  • Ongoing: 3 to 6 hours a week, more in the first months.

10Pair it with

11Sources

Sources