Founders, Startups & Communities.

Influencers’ availability is one of a few critical markers for your community maturity. Our first influencers are the people we live with (parents, siblings, grandparents).  This is a natural state where we are seeking approval, advice, and love.  As we grow, we find others that influence our behavior (peers, teachers, friends).  All of these influencers are easy to connect with – they are across the kitchen table or you see them in class every day. A startup community is no different.  In a healthy startup community there are natural influencers who emerge. Many times, they are the individuals who convene meetings, events, and startup programs like incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces. These are important activities that drive beneficial interactions.  These influencers are important agents in the startup community – and in the best startup communities, they make themselves available to others. This is one of the key distinguishing factors that separates vibrant startup communities from the rest.   Sometimes the influencers are investors (angel, micro fund, VC).  Investors are unsurprisingly viewed as influencers because the scarcity of capital gives those who wield it a ton of impact on community behavior.  Many investors don’t realize how their actions set a tone for …