Design & code at DoorDash, prev. Instagram, Headspace, Red Bull.

Frank Bach

Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I've put a lot of effort into the community over the years and it feels like it's starting to pay off. Thank you for joining during your stint in LA. It sounds like you’re in a great spot to kickstart something special that is uniquely Connecticut!

A few thoughts that might help:

Start small and consistent — a monthly or quarterly meetup at a local coffee shop or co-working space can go a long way. It’s more about regularity than size, or even fomat at first.Give it space to shape itself — at first, I wanted to build a TED style event, or even CreativeMornings type resource. I decided to start with meetups and allow them to naturally evolve.Lean on existing platforms — you can use Slack, Meetup, Telegram, Discord, or even a simple newsletter to rally folks together. Wherever your people are, make it easy for them to join. Think top-of-funnel optimization.Tap into existing networks — LinkedIn, local Slack groups, or even coworking spaces can be great for finding others in the area. Many communities are built slowly over time.Share it publicly before it's "done" — post on social that you’re starting something and invite others to help shape it.Meetups don't need to be expensive — often people think that I'm renting the bar, or have a budget for catering etc. I don't. This is all done on a shoestring budget, if any at all. We try to maximize connection to LA's design and tech ecosystem, that's it. We don't need anything super special and it's easy enough to find a small bar that's happy to host us for free on a Thursday night. Find your version of this.Monetization will come later — it's easy to monetize a community with entry fees, donations, sponsors, etc. once you have a steady user base. Don't worry about this part in the beginning and just focus on making something people want. It's ok not to have it all figured out — chances are you'll have a couple of hits and many misses. Just keep iterating and don't stop. It's part of the process and soon enough people will be asking YOU for this advice.

Cheering you on from LA!

Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I've put a lot of effort into the community over the years and it feels like it's starting to pay off. Thank you for joining during your stint in LA. It sounds like you’re in a great spot to kickstart something special that is uniquely Connecticut!

Love your work so much! I am writing because I joined the LA Design & Dev community during a brief stint in LA in 2020/2021. I have since moved to the suburbs of NYC (Connecticut to be exact) and was interested in starting something up a design and dev community here as I know there are many people in the field here but not much going on locally. Do you have any recommendations on starting something like this up ? Thanks so much for your time! If there is a better way to contact you please let me know :)

Frank Bach

Creating an online/IRL community

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Frank Bach