A Wren Says

It is a quick line in an HBR article. “Co-owners act differently than standard customers.” The point made is that in seeking to build community and create a two way street with your customer groups means giving up some control. You have to be willing to trust them.

That is scary. Handing over the reigns to someone else, when you’ve taken the time invest in your own idea seems counterintuitive. But if your goal is to build community, and not a kingdom under your rule, this a move you have to make.

In the article, the author uses the example of TED x, a locally operated initiative of TED. Allowing groups all around the world to run their own events, under the TED banner, means giving up some say so and control. But it also means gaining so much more.

Inviting your customers in to be “co-owners” so to speak means giving them voice but giving yourself a wealth of ideas and faster product feedback. There is real benefit there, if you are able to master the balance.

For me, as I had been thinking about building community, it was through the lens of the kingdom model. I was looking for more loyal subjects to come together and agree with my decrees. Instead, I will flipping that idea and thinking more about how we can build a stronger message together and join me on the journey.