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I went down a little curiosity rabbit hole today.
Thinking about product offerings for niche communities:
(Thread)
Thinking about product offerings for niche communities:
(Thread)
Level 1: Utility
These are products that help people participate in the niche, or help them participate more efficiently.
They fulfil core material needs, or strict solutions to well-defined, niche-specific problems.
These are products that help people participate in the niche, or help them participate more efficiently.
They fulfil core material needs, or strict solutions to well-defined, niche-specific problems.
Level 2: Identity
These are products or experiences that help you do the following:
- express your outer-identity inside the niche-world
- express your niche-identity to the outside-world
- status boosters within the niche-world
These are products or experiences that help you do the following:
- express your outer-identity inside the niche-world
- express your niche-identity to the outside-world
- status boosters within the niche-world
Level 3: Belonging
These can be:
- places to help you feel normal for your niche interests
- a way to explore your niche interest further with likeminded people
- off-ramps for connecting with similar people in areas beyond just the niche interest
These can be:
- places to help you feel normal for your niche interests
- a way to explore your niche interest further with likeminded people
- off-ramps for connecting with similar people in areas beyond just the niche interest
Some interesting dynamics to consider between the different offerings:
Let's take curious cross-disciplinarian learners:
Utility - @RoamResearch helps easily map what you're learning
Identity - @substack gives you space for expressing that identity to niche & outside worlds
Belonging - @whatstheii is a home for connecting with similar souls
Utility - @RoamResearch helps easily map what you're learning
Identity - @substack gives you space for expressing that identity to niche & outside worlds
Belonging - @whatstheii is a home for connecting with similar souls
Another example, Gamers:
Utility - @Steam to get access to new games
Identity - in-game avatar customisation to reflect your outer-identity within a niche world
Belonging - http://epal.gg for creating a marketplace for strangers to connect over a game
Utility - @Steam to get access to new games
Identity - in-game avatar customisation to reflect your outer-identity within a niche world
Belonging - http://epal.gg for creating a marketplace for strangers to connect over a game
From the above framework, what makes @reddit interesting is it's created a space for anyone from any possible niche (past, present and future) to feel a sense of belonging.
[cc @alexisohanian].
[cc @alexisohanian].
But there's still an opportunity in creating vertically integrated communities by offering a core utility for a niche.
This is something @gregisenberg talks about here: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg/status/1264971317507428359?s=20
This is something @gregisenberg talks about here: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg/status/1264971317507428359?s=20
This was inspired by a lot of the conversations I've had over the past weeks.
Thought I'd share this framework in case it inspires someone who is currently building for niche communities.
DM me if you want to talk more about this - I'd love to build a better thesis for this.
Thought I'd share this framework in case it inspires someone who is currently building for niche communities.
DM me if you want to talk more about this - I'd love to build a better thesis for this.
Also s/o @liamdanielduffy for entertaining some of these thoughts at 3 am EST
