Communities have been integral to human progress throughout centuries. They offer a supportive environment to navigate life's challenges and avoid the constant reinvention of the wheel.
Thriving communities foster growth, learning, and mutual support. As Naomi Hattaway once said, "I am WHAT I am because of who WE are together."
Historically, our ancestors formed communities that shaped the culture, activities, and uniqueness of different tribes. Despite being offline and limited in their growth speed, these communities were successful in passing down their cultures through generations.
The advent of the internet led to the creation of online communities, which has evolved into various forms such as gaming communities (like EASports Online), football communities (like Footyaddicts), chess communities (like chess.com), and programming communities (like Laravel and Rails community, Google Developer groups, Open Source Africa & forloop Africa).
This list is not exhaustive, and the power of these communities boils down to three key factors:
OPPORTUNITIES - Communities provide various opportunities. For instance, football scouts find talents worldwide, politicians find their next role, and developer groups often hire from within their communities. A lot of collaboration happens in open source software communities around the world because of the endless opportunities that abound there. Discord & GitHub are prime examples. Communities are where brilliance meets opportunity, fostering growth.
LEARNING & GROWTH - Communities are hubs for knowledge exchange. Sharing is a common theme. I co-founded a developer community, forloop Africa, spanning eight countries, and I've seen countless testimonials from members who learned significantly from their involvement. Apart from learning, you get to solve real problems and pay it back by helping other people solve the same problem. The mutually-beneficial interaction here contributes to the growth of everyone involved.
IDENTITY - Humans desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. Communities offer this sense of identity, often marked by badges or statements like, "I'm proud to be a part of this community." and “Do you know what it takes to be part of us?” . The sheer joy of being identified with something prestigious can sometimes be unmatched and a huge part of why certain individuals will never lose membership of some communities.
Join The Novu Community Today
We're re-launching the Novu Community, offering a new collaborative space. Our new platform will provide opportunities for growth, learning, and a strong identity.
If you're already part of our Discord community, you'll attest to the knowledge exchange, support, and collaboration that happens daily. From conversations to hackathons, hacksquad competitions, hacktoberfest, and open source contributions and rewards.
Don’t just take my word for it. Join the waitlist and see for yourself!
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