Building Revenue in Curated C-Suite Communities

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This chapter explores the revenue models for curated communities, focusing on the interplay between sponsorship and membership income. It addresses the organizational challenges of hosting meaningful events and the strategic planning needed to engage senior executives effectively. Additionally, it discusses the importance of tailored approaches to pricing and community structure to ensure member investment and sustained engagement.

Greg Raiten, a former lawyer and a co-founder at The Suite, a curated community-based platform for C-suite executives, joins Erik Torenberg to share the evolution of The Suite, from a side project that grew into a revenue-generating model through membership and sponsorships. They also discuss the process of building and scaling community-based businesses, effectiveness of paid memberships, and exploring future community expansion into other C-suite roles.

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LINKS:

Explore the GC/legal community: https://www.lsuite.co

Explore the CFO/finance community: https://www.fsuite.co

Company website: https://www.thesuite.com

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@gregraiten (Greg)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) Greg's background and early career

(03:17) Evolution of The Suite

(05:51) Vision and expansion

(11:32) Business model

(13:45) Community engagement and events

(17:46) Online membership experience

(20:22) Sponsor: Metaview

(21:29) Sponsorship and revenue model

(22:55) Challenges of future of events

(28:44) Expanding professional communities

(34:16) Building a network

(35:49) Pricing strategies for community memberships

(42:08) Scaling and fundraising

(45:05) Future of paid vs. free communities

(47:37) Successful community models

(50:22) Wrap

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.