Community Building From The Sea Floor Up
Community Building From The Sea Floor Up
Blubber Notes #110
Dear Future Whales,
In a recent discussion with a token design team, we explored a bold idea: what if we flipped the script on launching a new product? Traditionally, founders—including myself—focus on identifying a problem, building a solution, and then trying to attract a community around it. This approach is incredibly challenging, as many in the Web3 space have experienced firsthand.
But what if, instead of starting with the product, you began by building the community? Today’s note covers how I did it on a micro scale and some key insights I’ve gained along the way.
My note touches on:
Build a Community Around Shared Interests
Provide Value-Added Content
Build Exclusivity
Go Beyond—The Value-Add Plus
1. Start with Shared Interests
For the upcoming game The Third Kingdom (TTK), a friend and I founded the TTK Guild—a Discord server where future players could gather, swap assets fairly, and discuss strategies for the game’s release. The key was to build a community around something we were genuinely excited about and that others were too.
Key Point: When you focus on shared interests, you create a sense of belonging and purpose that is vital for any strong community. Importantly, there’s no hidden agenda—no product or service being pushed—just authentic connection.
2. Provide Value-Add Content
Building a community isn’t just about gathering people together; it’s about giving them something of value. This doesn’t mean you need to have a finished product right away. Instead, think about what content you can create that will resonate with your community. For me, it was a game manual for TTK, filled with social media links, tips, tricks, and a bit of speculation. I also made sure to credit community members who contributed.
The result? It became one of the most liked and retweeted posts I’ve ever made. That’s when I realized that a community-first approach could be incredibly powerful.
Key Point: Creating content that adds value not only strengthens the community but also drives organic growth as members engage with and share what you’ve created.
3. Build Exclusivity
Exclusivity can be a powerful tool for building commitment within your community. After launching the Discord, we closed it for several weeks. As interest grew—spurred by the game manual and guild discussions—people began asking how they could join. Our plan is to reopen the Discord channel when the game launches, allowing new members to join. This new group will be welcomed by access to an “exclusive” TTK Guild Headquarters, an interactive space using the Portals.to NFT project.
However, managing a growing community requires balance. We created a premium player channel within the Discord, leading by example by donating Web3 game assets to a joint guild wallet which will be used to earn rewards for these premium players. To gain access to this channel, members also needed to contribute a certain number of items.
Key Point: This approach created a sense of exclusivity and commitment among the most engaged members. As a result, this core group of dedicated players may become the driving force behind the community’s growth and vitality.
4. Go Beyond—The Value-Add Plus
This community-building exercise is a far cry from the 2021 NFT minting craze. It’s about depth, not hype. Our guild now includes a large group of players, a smaller circle of committed members, and a growing inventory of guild assets. But we plan to take it even further. Here’s the Alpha:
Membership: We’ve decided to introduce an NFT—not just for the sake of having one, but as a membership badge for our premium players. These NFTs will be dropped into their wallets in the future, giving them the flexibility to stay in the guild or trade their membership if they choose to leave. This adds a layer of independence and freedom, allowing our members to make real choices and that’s crucial as the community evolves.
Upcoming Manuals - As soon as the TTK game starts, we will drop a new “Quick Start” guide to help and encourage players to get going and collecting rewards.
Partnerships: We’ve also formed a special collaboration with a well-known data provider in the Futureverse Ecosystem. The idea is to offer our premium players early or unique access in exchange for their feedback. This initiative is still in its early days, but it has the potential to add even more value to our community.
In Conclusion
Building a community before developing a product might seem unconventional, but it can lead to a more engaged and loyal base. By finding common ground, offering value-add content, fostering exclusivity, and continuously enhancing the community experience, you can create a thriving ecosystem that supports and drives the eventual success of your product.
Right now, it’s not about the product—it’s about the community. A product may come in time, supported by the strength and passion of the people you’ve gathered.
Authored by Matt Bartlett, CAIA. Follow Matt on x.com @MattBartlettVE
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