matthew brimer, founder of general assembly, on creating amazing community events
TRANSCRIPT
Building Brand, Building Community:
Lessons Learned from General Assembly & Daybreaker
Matthew BrimerCO-FOUNDER
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
CO-FOUNDERDAYBREAKER
About Me
■ Graduated from Yale, moved to NYC
■ Previous startup failed, never had real “job”
■ 2009: Founded General AssemblyNow: $50MM in funding, 500+ employees, campuses in 14 cities globally
■ 2013: Founded Daybreaker Now: 8 cities globally and counting, tens of thousands of participants
@brimer
New York — 2009
■ Recession hit NYC, tech was transforming every industry
■ The New York tech scene was burgeoning but disjointed and ad hoc
■ People were seeking new career paths, new skills, new inspiration
@brimer
The Answer? General Assembly
@brimer
Let’s create a community nucleus for the startup ecosystem in NYC — housed in a real, physical place! A place of social interaction, professional collaboration, and shared learning.
New York — 2013
■ Always loved music and live entertainment, but frustrated with nightlife in New York
■ Dance culture and ‘going out’ were inevitably linked with drugs, alcohol, exclusiveness, escapism, etc.
■ Mornings as a space & time were boring!
@brimer
The Answer? Daybreaker
@brimer
Let’s create an exhilarating, positive, values-driven morning dance party experience that will start off your day unlike anything else.
5 Learnings on How a Strong Brand Supports a Strong Community
1. Activate the core2. Give karma, get karma3. Establish clear brand values4. Create meaningful offline experiences5. Balance curation with openness
@brimer
Activate the core
@brimer
■ Focus your early efforts on building a powerful core of true believers
■ Examples:○ 1:1 coffees○ Group dinners○ Space tours○ Manually building email list
■ Early adopters you cultivate become evangelists
Give karma, get karma
Give! Be as useful as possible. Connect, inspire, support.
@brimer
■ Well-placed intros add value to the ecosystem — everyone benefits■ The karma you send out inevitably comes back to you■ Try to make 2-3 intros per day as a habit■ Focus on increasing network density around you
Establish clear brand values
Codify the founding principles of the brand early to shape the community ethos
(and ultimately the business)
@brimer
■ GA: culture of reciprocity through a “I’m offering / I need” bulletin board
■ Daybreaker: culture of positivity and warmth in our music, check-in process, and closing remarks at each event
Establish clear norms and values
@brimer
1. People before the machine2. Learning by doing3. Journey over destination
General Assembly Daybreaker
1. Camaraderie2. Wellness3. Self-Expression4. Mindfulness5. Mischief
Create meaningful offline experiences
@brimer
■ Think offline UX design! Create experiences that are magical and memorable. Engage people IRL.
■ Examples:○ Take people to the edge of their comfort zone (7 am sober dance party, what?!)○ Surprise and delight! Unexpected performances, spoken word, new locations○ Intimate fireside chats with amazing people at General Assembly
■ People connect far more deeply offline than online■ NPS (Net Promoter Score) as your north star
Balance curation with openness
@brimer
■ A tightly-curated membership yields quality, yet can be unwelcoming / too “clubby” to the outside
■ Examples:○ GA: Workshops/events open to public, but membership/courses were selective
○ Daybreaker: Invite-only, password-protected events, avoided all PR… until we felt the community was strong enough, then opened it up more publicly
The Future of GA & Daybreaker
@brimer
■ General Assembly & Daybreaker are both about creating community at their core — and are doing so by focusing on building strong brands
■ Both organizations are empowering people transform their lives for the better, connect with like-minded peers, and pursue their inner calling
■ Without a strong brand, the communities wouldn’t be as loyal. Without a strong community, the brand wouldn’t be as valuable.