Get Together: How to Build a Community With Your People
by Bailey Richardson & Kevin Huynh & Kai Elmer Sotto · 2019
In a nutshell
Bailey Richardson et al. provide tactics for founders to spark, stoke, and sustain communities driving organic growth and retention. Key use cases include scaling user engagement metrics like participation rates for team-led loyalty vs. founder-led. Compared to Hacking Growth, it emphasizes community-led hypergrowth over tactical experiments.
Overview
"Get Together" is a guidebook for building communities by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto of People & Company. Published by Stripe Press, the book reveals the secret to getting people together: build your community with people, not for them.
Authors
In 2015, Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto started People & Company, a strategy partner for organizations like Nike, Porsche, Substack, and Surfrider. In March 2021, People & Company was acquired by Substack. Bailey Richardson was an early Instagram hire who helped shape communities around Instagram, IDEO, and Pop-Up Magazine.
Core Philosophy
The book's throughline is the simple concept: "build with," which lives in each recommendation through three stages of building a community:
- Sparking the flame - Starting your community
- Stoking the fire - Growing and engaging members
- Passing the torch - Sustaining community leadership
Key Features
- Practical frameworks for both online and offline community building
- Real-world case studies from successful communities
- Step-by-step guidance for community organizers
- Strategies for maintaining authentic engagement
- Tools for transitioning from founder-led to community-led
Why It's Essential for Founders
Startup founders need to build communities around their products, brands, and missions. This book provides the playbook for creating loyal, engaged communities that drive word-of-mouth growth and product adoption. The authors draw from extensive experience helping major companies build communities, making their insights immediately applicable to startups at any stage.
Availability
Free to read online at gettogether.world, also available in print and digital formats through major retailers.
Reference
Get Together: How to Build a Community With Your People — publisher / official page. Summary adapted from the Awesome Startup Books collection.
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