Why I Pivoted: Embracing Lean Startup & the MVP Methodology
When I set out to help you all build intentional communities, my vision was to create a comprehensive course that could guide you step-by-step in creating your own community. But as I began building it, I consistently engaged in conversations with many of you, which revealed a key insight: most of you aren’t immediately looking for a detailed blueprint to start an intentional community. What you need most right now is to find or connect deeply with people you genuinely vibe with.
In other words, the immediate priority isn’t the “how” of building communities but rather the “who” in finding the right people to connect with. This discovery led me to make a crucial decision: it was time to pivot.
Understanding Lean Startup Principles
My approach aligns with the Lean Startup methodology, which centers on building and learning quickly from real-world experiences rather than following a traditional business plan. Here are a few key principles that guided my pivot:
Validated Learning: Rather than assuming what you all need, I gathered insights directly from conversations with many of you. This helped me validate that the immediate need wasn’t for a structured course but for a curated, value-aligned community. By collecting and analyzing this feedback, I was able to pivot towards an offering that truly resonates with your priorities.
Build-Measure-Learn: According to the Lean Startup principles, creating a successful offering involves quickly building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), measuring its impact, and learning from that data. So instead of investing significant time and resources into creating a detailed course, I decided to start with a smaller-scale MVP: a curated group of queer people and allies. This allows us to experiment with pop-up co-living experiences, gather feedback, and continue refining and improving.
Innovation Accounting: I’m intentionally focusing on experimenting and iterating in a way that prioritizes what matters most—creating meaningful connections. Innovation accounting is about measuring progress, validating learnings, and holding myself accountable to the outcomes we want to achieve as a community.
Why Curated Community & Pop-Up Co-living?
As I listened to many of you, it became clear that the desire for connection was a higher priority than a full-fledged course on creating intentional communities. So, I’ve shifted my focus to curating a group of queer people and allies who share common values.
This curated community will have access to pop-up co-living experiences, allowing us to spend time living, working, and sharing experiences together. The idea behind curating this community is to create a safe space where we can show up as our authentic selves and build deep connections.
If the idea of a safe, curated space where you can connect and grow alongside others speaks to you, I’d love to invite you to apply.
Why Transparency Matters
I’m sharing this with you to be fully transparent. I’ve been moving quickly as I explore ways to build this business, and I’m learning a lot about what is and isn’t impactful in supporting the queer community to create more meaningful connections. My goal is to be upfront with you about these changes, so you understand the intention behind each decision.
What About the Skool Community?
To be super clear: this pivot does not affect the current Skool community. It will continue to exist as a place for gathering and connecting those of you who want to start or join queer intentional communities. That mission remains the same.
Embracing Change & Learning Together
Thank you all for your trust and patience as I navigate this process. I’m excited to keep learning, pivoting, and building alongside all of you.
For those of you who are more interested in learning how to find or start your own intentional community, I highly recommend checking out these fantastic courses offered by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC). These courses provide in-depth guidance and practical steps for anyone interested in building a community:
Finding Your Community Course: Discover how to find an intentional community that fits your values and lifestyle. Learn More
Starting a Community Course: Step-by-step instructions for creating your own intentional community. Learn More
Legal Basics for Forming Communities Course: Essential legal knowledge to help you form and sustain a community. Learn More
Full List of FIC Courses: Explore a variety of other courses on building and sustaining communities. See All Courses