The Next Generation of Community Infrastructure: Connecting Knowledge Creation and Community Building

The Next Generation of Community Infrastructure: Connecting Knowledge Creation and Community Building

In today's digital age, communities play a crucial role in connecting individuals with shared interests, goals, and values. Whether it's an online forum for hobbyists or a professional network for entrepreneurs, communities provide a space for collaboration, support, and growth. However, most communities face a common challenge - the fragmentation of their tech stack.

Community builders often find themselves stitching together a variety of individual solutions to meet the end-to-end needs of their members. They repurpose software meant for other purposes, resulting in a lack of bespoke tools for community management. This not only leads to confusion among community members but also prevents communities from reaching their full potential.

Sarah Noeckl, the founder of Femstreet, highlights this challenge by stating, "Community members are confused. They have to be in their inbox, on Slack, on Zoom...it's hard to understand what takes place, where, and when." This lack of cohesion in community infrastructure hinders the deepening of customer relationships and limits the ability to unlock powerful network effects.

To address this issue, communities need a platform model that can tie all their point solutions together. A platform model leverages modularity to create massive value across the community tech stack, enabling communities to reach their full potential. By providing a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, a community platform can streamline operations and enhance the overall member experience.

Interestingly, the SECI Model of Knowledge Dimensions, proposed by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, offers valuable insights into knowledge creation within communities. This model considers two dimensions - the epistemological dimension and the ontological dimension.

The epistemological dimension focuses on the conversion of knowledge between tacit and explicit forms. Tacit knowledge, which resides within individuals, is transformed into explicit knowledge through socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization processes. Socialization involves the transfer of tacit knowledge through practice, guidance, and observation. Externalization occurs when tacit knowledge is codified and shared in written form. Combination involves systematizing concepts into a knowledge system, utilizing existing sources to create new knowledge. Internalization happens when individuals reflect on their experiences and learn through reading and doing.

The ontological dimension, on the other hand, emphasizes the conversion of knowledge from individuals to groups and organizations. It recognizes that knowledge creation is not solely an individual endeavor but a collaborative process that occurs within social contexts.

By integrating the SECI Model and the concept of a community platform, community builders can create a powerful framework for knowledge creation and community building. A community platform would provide the necessary infrastructure for socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization processes, facilitating the conversion of tacit and explicit knowledge within the community.

So, what actionable advice can we derive from these insights?

• 1. Invest in a Community Platform: Instead of relying on fragmented point solutions, communities should prioritize investing in a robust community platform. This will provide a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, streamlining operations and enhancing the member experience.

• 2. Foster Socialization and Collaboration: Community builders should create opportunities for socialization and collaboration within the community. Encouraging members to share their tacit knowledge through practice, guidance, and observation will facilitate the creation of explicit knowledge and strengthen the community's collective intelligence.

• 3. Embrace Continuous Learning: Internalization, the process of learning through reflection and action, should be fostered within the community. By sharing explicit documents and encouraging members to learn through reading and doing, community builders can create a culture of continuous learning and growth.

In conclusion, the next generation of community infrastructure lies in the integration of knowledge creation processes and the adoption of a community platform. By leveraging the SECI Model's insights and investing in a centralized hub for community management, communities can unlock their full potential and create meaningful and sustainable competitive advantages. Let us embrace this evolution and build communities that thrive on shared knowledge and collaboration.