Slack vs. Discord: Why Community is Your Moat
Slack is for work (and dies after 10k messages). Discord is for vibes (but hard to thread). Circle is for content. Pick based on your vibe, not features.
What is Community Led Growth (CLG)?
Community Led Growth (CLG) is When your users answer each other's questions, host meetups, and creating templates, reducing your support load and increasing retention.
The 3 Core Benefits
Support Deflection
If a user asks "How do I do X?" in the community, another user answers it in 2 minutes. That is $0 cost support.
Feature Discovery
Users show off "hacks" you didn't even know were possible. This inspires other users to upgrade.
Emotional Lock-in
It is easy to leave a tool. It is hard to leave a group of friends. Community increases switching costs (retention).
Starting the Fire
Pick the Platform
B2B/Enterprise -> Slack. Gaming/Crypto/GenZ -> Discord. Course/Content -> Circle. Don't put a CTO on Discord.
Seed the Content
An empty room is scary. Create fake "Welcome" threads. Reply to yourself. Make it look alive before inviting real people.
The First 100
Manually invite your best users. Tag them. "Hey @Sarah, you are an expert on this, what do you think?" Make them feel like VIPs.
Events > Chat
Chat dies. Events (AMAs, Webinars, Show & Tell) bring people back. Host a weekly "Office Hours" on Zoom.
Gamification
Recognize your "Community Leaders." giving them a special role or "MVP" status. People work hard for status.
Audience vs. Community
| Feature | Audience | Community |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | One-to-Many (You talk) | Many-to-Many (They talk) |
| Value | Content | Connection |
| Workload | High (Creator) | Medium (Moderator) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Slack too expensive?
Yes, the history limit (90 days on free plan) kills knowledge. Discord is free / unlimited history. Consider this.
What about trolls?
You need active moderation. One toxic user kills the vibe. Ban fast. no warnings.
Can I charge for access?
Yes! "Paid Communities" have higher engagement than free ones. People value what they pay for.
What makes a launch channel high intent?
High-intent channels have users actively searching for solutions, not just browsing a feed.
How many channels should I launch on?
Start with 3-5 strong channels, measure conversions, then expand to 10-12 over time.
How do I avoid launch fatigue?
Stagger your launches and reuse assets so each channel gets a focused push.
What should I measure after launch?
Track qualified signups, backlinks, and demo requests, not just raw traffic.
How does Mesh of Growth fit with other platforms?
Use Mesh for compounding reviews and backlinks while other platforms provide short-term spikes.
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