BUILD A KICKA$$ ONLINE COMMUNITY

Sales consultant Kedar provides a step-by-step blueprint for building meaningful and effective digital communities in an increasingly noisy and disconnected online world.

In this business book, the author argues that great online communities—whether they’re on social networks, such as Facebook, or cloud-based tech platforms, such as Nas.io—aren’t about member counts, algorithms, or technological bells and whistles; they’re about having a sense of purpose, an atmosphere of trust, and a feeling of belonging. Drawing on her own experiences and interviews with notable community leaders, Kedar provides nine core chapters that aim to guide readers from the earliest visioning stages to the process of scaling and sustaining thriving groups. The book begins by exploring the psychological foundation of community—that is, why people crave belonging, and how a shared purpose forms a basis for engagement. She then covers foundational topics, such as clarifying your community’s purpose (or “North Star”), establishing values and rituals, and choosing the right technology platform. Other chapters offer advice on leadership strategies, designing experiences that invite participation, tackling monetization strategies, measuring impact, and navigating the challenges of growth. The text is supplemented by worksheets, templates, and reflection prompts, making it highly interactive. Kedar also includes useful comparisons of platforms Circle, Discourse, Mighty Networks, and Skool. Ultimately, the book positions itself as a practical, user-friendly companion for those who want to build spaces that foster genuine human connection. There’s a lot of value in Kedar’s approach, as she makes a strong case for purpose-driven, inclusive communities and offers a structure that newcomers to the field will find especially helpful. Her emphasis on empathy and psychological safety sets a meaningful tone, especially in an era in which many online spaces are more transactional than transformational. However, although it provides a wide range of exercises and reflective questions, some sections rely more heavily on theory or motivational language than on practical insights (for example, discussions about platform selection and monetization are relatively high level). Still, the book does offer a solid foundation that may appeal to solo creators.

Helpful, practical advice—although newcomers might be put off by more advanced material.