The technology of communities


Building communities is a core human technology of the future

Did you ever notice that when things get uncertain, human beings instinctively draw closer together?

It’s how we've survived every famine, war or any other period of upheaval. The impulse for belonging, connection and mutual aid is baked deep into our biology.

Community is not a luxury but rather infrastructure. Now, more than ever, it’s a critical technology we must actively build and protect.

Technology, at its simplest, is any tool or system that extends human capability: a way to achieve something greater than what could be done alone. Language, writing, money, and rituals are all forms of technology because they help us store, communicate and exchange value of some kind.

In this sense, community, too, is a technology, perhaps the most enduring, essential and unmistakably human one, as it allows us to:

  • Solve problems collaboratively
  • Share and protect knowledge
  • Buffer risks and support one another
  • Build meaning and stories that tie us together

It’s uniquely powerful because it meets both our biological needs (safety, cooperation, belonging) and our existential needs (meaning, purpose, collective identity).

In an era where technical skills can be automated, the human skills embodied in building and nurturing real communities will become not only valuable but vital. Community building is a future-proofing tool for businesses, movements and personal lives alike.

If you can create spaces where trust, shared purpose and genuine value exchange thrive, you are cultivating the most essential infrastructure for resilience and creativity in the times ahead.

Read the full piece here.


How to think clearly about the future

Tomorrow April 29th at 4pm CET / 10am ET, you can enjoy a masterful introduction to systems thinking with our favourite resident futurist and strategic thinker, Jon Cherry.

In particular, we'll explore the human side of systems thinking in how it can help us better understand the challenges and opportunities of our interconnected world.

Come along and learn how to ask better questions, listen deeply and embrace the unknown as a way to craft futures that are not only possible but also preferable.


Full session replays

Relentless relevance

Curiosity, mischief, optimism and how best to be a threat to the future

Authentic Networking

Learn how to connect with strangers by being yourself in the best possible way

Click here to check out the full calendar of events coming up.


Secure 40% off next week's Bootcamp

Next week Wednesday our Community Builder's Bootcamp kicks off and we're already locked and loaded with 14 fellow community ninjas!

If you're looking to learn everything you need about growing, starting or relaunching your own online community, there's still few more seats to join us!

Take the opportunity and get 40% off before 2nd May!

Sign up right away here with HMBOOTCAMP40


From the community

Should you hire someone, partner with an expert or DIY? Catch Rebecca Wilson's Episode 5 from Everything You Need To know About AI Automation is now live

David from Raptitude: Why it's easier to simply do more (which is the problem)

Chris from Future-Focused: How AI Helped Me Be More Human


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Have an energising week ahead,

Alex

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