7.6 Intro Culture #

Make it intentional or watch your community's energy drain away, one missed intro at a time.

"Let's go around the room and introduce ourselves." Those nine words can kill a gathering before it even starts.

In pop-up communities, everyone's new. But that's not a problem to solve. It's an opportunity to design.

The standard intro process is broken. "Hi, I'm Mark from Marketing. I've been in the industry for 12 years. I live in Chicago with my dog and..." Twenty minutes later, no one remembers the first person's name, let alone why they're here.

Your temporary community deserves better.

Intro culture isn't just about efficiency. It's about setting the tone for everything that follows.

As the creator, you lead by example. Brief, effective, memorable. You show what's possible in 30 seconds or less.

Replace geography and job titles with questions that matter. "How did you make your first dollar online?" "What's one assumption in our industry you think is wrong?" "What's a small change that made a big difference for you?"

Questions like these reveal what's relevant. They spark curiosity for follow-up. They keep focus on why you're all gathered.

Think of introductions like movie trailers, not full documentaries. Just enough detail to hook the audience and leave them wanting more.

Yes, you need to be comfortable redirecting the person giving their seven-minute life story. It's not rude to interrupt. Just redirect with warmth. "I'd love to hear more after the session, but let's keep intros moving so we can dive in."

Want to go deeper? Create a shared document where people can add more details for those interested.

Your intro culture sets the tone for everything else.