index 7b629c9..47cef0a 100644
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ the uncomfortable truth: most communities die within 3 months. the ones that sur
[socratica](https://www.socratica.info/) is a co-working community that started in waterloo and now runs in 40+ cities. the format is dead simple — and that's why it works.
### the format
-1. **introductions** — everyone says who they are and what they're working on
+1. **[[icebreakers|introductions]]** — everyone says who they are and what they're working on
2. **work block 1** (50 min) — heads down, work on your passion project
3. **work block 2** (50 min) — more work
4. **demos** — casual show-and-tell. share what you made, even if it's a rough google doc
@@ -57,14 +57,14 @@ community projects need more than a good idea — they need individual commitmen
### communities that stick have:
- **a recurring rhythm.** weekly or biweekly, same time, same place. monthly is too infrequent to build habit. quarterly is a conference, not a community.
-- **a clear format.** people know what to expect. socratica's intro → work → demo format. sunday dinners' cook → eat → talk format. ambiguity kills attendance.
+- **a clear format.** people know what to expect. socratica's intro → work → demo [[event-formats|format]]. sunday dinners' cook → eat → talk format. ambiguity kills attendance.
- **a committed core.** 3-5 people who will show up no matter what. everyone else orbits the core. if the core disappears, the community dies.
- **a shared identity.** "we're the people who build things on sundays." "we're the people who cook together." the identity is about what you do together, not just who you are.
- **low cost to attend.** time and money. if it takes planning, people won't come consistently. if it costs money, you better be delivering clear value.
### communities that die from:
- **organizer burnout.** if one person does everything — venue, comms, facilitation, cleanup — they'll quit within 6 months. distribute the work or keep the format so simple that organizing is trivial.
-- **growing too fast.** 5 committed people → 50 curious people → social dynamics shift → original members leave → new members don't stick → ghost town. grow slowly.
+- **growing too fast.** individual [[relationship-maintenance]] matters more than group size. 5 committed people → 50 curious people → social dynamics shift → original members leave → new members don't stick → ghost town. grow slowly.
- **loss of purpose.** "we're a community of builders" gradually becomes "we're a community of people who used to build things and now just hang out." either is fine, but the transition kills communities that don't acknowledge it.
- **no filtering.** communities need some barrier to entry, even a small one. an RSVP, a question on the signup form, a friend-of-friend requirement. zero barriers → zero commitment.
- **event-driven, not habit-driven.** if every gathering requires a special event or speaker, the community dies when the organizer stops booking speakers. the best communities are boring and consistent.
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ you need less than you think.
- speakers or special guests
- money
-the premature scaling trap: building infrastructure before you have a community to use it. don't set up a discord until you have 15+ people who already know each other. don't build a website until you have a waitlist problem.
+the premature scaling trap: building infrastructure before you have a community to use it. don't set up a discord until you have 15+ people who already know each other. see [[online-community]] for when and how to add a digital layer. don't build a website until you have a waitlist problem.
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@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ make a list of 20 people you'd love in this community. reach out to each one ind
a tweet, a slack message in a relevant community, a post in a group chat. works for getting volume but not for getting commitment. anyone who shows up from a public post should be treated as a trial — they need to experience the value before they'll commit.
### the anchor event
-host one great event with a specific purpose. "i'm hosting a demo day for side projects — 5 people presenting, 15 watching, then drinks." use the energy from that event to recruit for the recurring community.
+host one great [[event-formats|event]] with a specific purpose. "i'm hosting a demo day for side projects — 5 people presenting, 15 watching, then drinks." use the energy from that event to recruit for the recurring community.
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@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ once you have a working community of 10, growth is different:
- **promote from within.** find 2-3 people who are as invested as you are. give them ownership of something — hosting duties, comms, a specific role. this is your insurance against organizer burnout.
- **maintain the format.** the temptation is to "improve" things by adding speakers, panels, workshops. resist. the format is what people signed up for.
- **create tiers of involvement.** not everyone needs to come every week. some people are core (every week), some are regulars (2x/month), some are occasional (monthly). all three are valid.
-- **introduce slowly.** when new people join, have a regular introduce them or pair them with someone. don't let newcomers feel lost in a group of friends.
+- **introduce slowly.** when new people join, have a regular [[introductions|introduce them]] or pair them with someone. don't let newcomers feel lost in a group of friends.
- **fork, don't bloat.** if your dinner party grows past 12, don't try to seat 20. start a second dinner. if your co-working session hits 30, encourage someone to start a tuesday edition.
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