·S1 E311

How to Build a Successful Paid Community | Growth in Reverse

July 14

55 mins

View Transcript

Episode Description

The highest month of membership revenue in Lab history was also the setup for the highest month of churn. One year later, February delivered both records.

I have been building community in some form since 2012. I ran Startup Weekend events in Columbus, led online Mastermind groups, consulted on the launch of SPI Pro, and spent 2021 leading the community team at Smart Passive Income before going back out on my own. In early 2022, I launched what became the Lab, a membership for creators earning at least $10,000 per month in non-service revenue or with 10,000 followers on a single platform. The Lab now has around 340 members across three tiers and is still standing after years of waves of communities coming and going.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why scarcity and urgency drive signups but can crater your retention a year later
The two onboarding "secrets" I kept quiet for a while
The mastermind paradox
How to think about scaling a community without accidentally eroding the culture you've built
What I would tell anyone thinking about launching a membership before they write a single line of copy

By the end of this episode, you will have a clearer picture of how a membership actually works over years, not just at launch.

Full transcript and show notes

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction and episode context

(02:08) How Jay started the Lab (from Startup Weekend to SPI Pro to Creative Companion Club)

(09:37) The scarcity play: record revenue month followed by record churn

(10:38) What actually works as a marketing lever for a community

(13:46) Why Jay runs applications and has a 90% conversion rate for accepted members

(16:30) The design philosophy: reduce effort, increase impact

(24:19) Mid-boarding: the missing piece between onboarding and renewal

(35:13) Jay's onboarding framework and the two secrets he's been keeping