8.3 Solve The System #

Great community builders don't just solve problems. They solve the systems that create them.

When problems arise in your community, remember the 80/20 rule. 80 percent are system problems. 20 percent are user errors or one-offs.

Most builders get this backwards. They treat system failures like individual issues.

You get three angry messages about login instructions. Small thinking: "I need to help these three people." Big thinking: "My login system needs a redesign."

Step back. Way back. Get to 30,000 feet.

Ask the golden question: What one change would fix everything?

The ticket system that generates tickets about itself. The onboarding flow that creates more questions than answers. The event registration that loses half your signups.

These aren't customer service issues. They're design failures.

When you solve at the system level, magic happens. You help the member who reported it. You help every future member who never sees it. You free yourself from repetitive support.

Your members can tell the difference between a well-oiled machine and one held together with duct tape and hope.

Even in a pop-up community, systems matter.

And those brave souls who report the issues? Don't just thank them. Celebrate them. Chief Bug Squasher. System Whisperer. Experience Enhancement Expert.

Their feedback isn't criticism. It's contribution.