How on earth did I end up at a 10km run in Essen, and what's it got to do with being "community-driven"...
Companies seem to adore the term, but why? Let me take a stab at it with my humble own twist.
Take, for instance, open-source software that’s driven by a community. Many businesses love it because, let's be honest, it's like hitting the jackpot with someone else's hard work! 😅 However, it's a bit cheeky because many companies, especially with smaller products, rarely throw something back into the hat. In my opinion, not giving back misses the whole point of community-driven projects. I've seen plenty of companies that I’ve worked with just take the perks without giving much back.
To me, being "community-driven" means everyone involved benefits—the CEO, the developer, and even the user should all get a slice of the pie! 🍰 It also means engaging in different ways. For example, that’s how our running event got started, a community member from Berlin visited and said, "Hey Artem, you're always glued to your computer. How about joining a run for a change?" 🏃♂️
I’m no athlete and let’s just say my fitness level isn’t exactly top-notch, but I thought, why not? It’s all part of being involved! It was a blast, even though I pushed myself to the limits... and I made it through without collapsing!
Even cooler, this is how CONNECTii.io was born. It sprang from this idea of not just participating in events but also financially supporting them, giving back to the community.
Within the CONNECTii community, I often get asked about my next goals. My response? I don’t have "my" next goals—let’s figure them out together. Sure, I have some ideas, but they’re up for a good challenge! 🎉
P.S. And no, I didn’t throw up! 🤢 And just to set the record straight, it wasn’t quite as spontaneous as it sounds—I had about 2-3 weeks of preparation!
#CommunityDriven #10kmRun #CONNECTii #TogetherWeRun #Survived
Turnkey Engineer & Product Strategist: Making the Impossible Possible for Startups and Mid-Size Companies
10moIt is amazing what Douglas Weintraub did with Bounce Innovation Hub and where Jessica Sublett, J.D., LLM is now leading it! Cannot say enough great things about what they do in the community. 💪