Dear Community: Give before you take.

It always bothers me (and makes me sad) in a community when the first thing a new member does is post a self-promotional message and has an ask.

eg. hey we are launching a product, please signup or upvote. Or we are hiring.

If we want a community that benefits all of us, that only happens if we give more than we take — and preferably start with a give, than a take. A good rule is to give twice, take once.

Building an ecosystem isn't the burden of a few, but a role all of us have to play. If we don’t, another century can pass us by and we will still be talking about “not having an ecosystem”.

The ecosystem is us, and how we all act. Communities are where excess social equity is stored up — giving those who have none, a chance; a leveled playing field.

Someday, (and hopefully not too far from now), I'll be thrilled when someone joins a community, introduces themselves, and asks “how can I be of help?”.

And that day, we would have an ecosystem. One that would attract the best to come and build together.

It takes very little to give. Building in Public is a trend these days — document your learnings and share publicly (and post within the community). When you learn/figure something out, offer to host a session within the community to help someone else accelerate their learning. Always be willing to make warm intros for folks who deserve it — and need a break. At the least be courteous and give a warm welcome to folks who join. Quite simple, actually.