Founders Must Share Ownership to Build True Community, Argues Simonsquibb

In a recent LinkedIn post, Simonsquibb highlights a fundamental disconnect many founders face when trying to build a strong company community. Simonsquibb poses a question to founders that consistently elicits a powerful response: “How many of you wish your team cared about this business as much as you do?” According to Simonsquibb, a room full of hands invariably goes up.

The follow-up question, Simonsquibb notes, reveals a common obstacle: “How many of you have given meaningful equity to your team?” The post indicates that almost all hands go down in response, leading Simonsquibb to argue that founders who are unwilling to share ownership often wonder why their teams don’t share their mission.

“Founders who won’t share ownership also wonder why nobody shares their mission.”

The Inside-Out Approach to Community Building

Simonsquibb contends that while founders understand the importance of building a community, they often focus solely on external efforts, primarily targeting customers. However, Simonsquibb stresses that a genuine community requires an inside-out approach, where the internal team feels as invested and integral to the company’s mission as the founders themselves.

“But in order to build a real community, it comes from the inside AND the outside,” Simonsquibb writes. “Your internal team needs to feel just as much a part of what you’re building as you do. And they won’t while you’re holding everything for yourself.”

Purpose Beyond the Individual

The insights shared by Simonsquibb were recently presented at SXSW London. Simonsquibb emphasizes that a company’s community will falter if the enterprise lacks a purpose that extends beyond any single individual, including the founder.

“If what you’re building doesn’t have a purpose bigger than any single person in the team, including you, then your community will never hold.”

Simonsquibb also touched upon the role of human connection in community building, referencing a report by Epidemic Sound that found 75% of people view human-generated content as premium. This underscores the idea that in an increasingly automated world, authentic community building remains a potent, human-driven advantage.

AI and the Unbeatable Human Element

In a postscript, Simonsquibb directly addresses the capabilities of artificial intelligence in the context of community building. “The one thing AI can’t beat someone on is building a community,” Simonsquibb asserts, reinforcing the idea that genuine human connection and shared purpose are irreplaceable elements in fostering a loyal and engaged team and customer base.

“If you can use it correctly, building a community is your secret weapon.”

Simonsquibb concludes by encouraging founders to rethink their approach to ownership and team investment as a critical step toward cultivating a truly resilient and dedicated company community.