Always being on is a community doom loop.

Think about the most powerful shared experiences in your life. A playoff game. An unforgettable concert. A family reunion weekend. A work sabbatical. These memories stick because they have clear beginnings, middles, and ends. The time limit makes them special.

Platforms want you building ten-year communities. Of course they do. They're selling subscriptions, not community.

Real community happens in defined moments. Shared experiences. Specific spaces in time. When people can see the finish line, everything shifts. Time becomes precious. Connections intensify. Every moment matters. The ordinary becomes extraordinary.

A weekend retreat creates more impact than a year of casual check-ins. A 48-hour challenge builds more momentum than months of "whenever" meetings. The limit creates urgency. Urgency creates energy.

Your community might last for years, but it's built on these focused moments. The shared finishes. The clear destinations. Don't trap your community in an endless loop of always being on. If it's always there, there's no urgency to show up ever.

This matters for you too. You need limits. Times to be on. Times to be off. Each iteration of your pop community is a chance to go all in, learn, and connect. The off cycles let you process and prepare for next time.

Once you follow this rhythm, going back to 24/7 experiences is impossible.