105. Slow and steady: how Are.na became the Good Web for artists, designers, and researchers who love unusual connections.
Jul 24, 2024
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Founder of Are.na, Charles Broskoski, discusses the platform's growth, sustainable business model, subscription pricing, fostering a healthy community, diverse online interaction, and unique approach to social media and community building. Are.na prioritizes genuine connections and creative expression over rapid expansion, promoting an environment that supports mental health crises and caters to introverted individuals.
Are.na focuses on gradual growth and maintenance over major announcements.
The platform promotes personalized yet communal online experience through creative and unstructured content sharing.
Deep dives
Arena's Approach to Growth and Team Expansion
Arena, an idiosyncratic social network, focuses on continuous improvement rather than major announcements. Their recent news includes expanding their team from one person to four full-time staff members, hiring experienced personnel like Damon Zucone and Meg Miller. The team's emphasis is on gradual growth and maintenance, such as relaunching the website for improved speed and performance.
Unique Features and Usage Patterns of Arena
Arena stands out due to its visual layout with blocks in a community of researchers, artists, and designers. Users can create channels, akin to folders, to organize content collaboratively or privately. The platform, despite offering public interaction, promotes individual self-expression through creative and unstructured content sharing. The setting, resembling a marketplace for diverse online expressions, fosters a personalized yet communal online experience.
Community Engagement and Subscription Model of Arena
With around half a million registered accounts and 40,000 monthly active users, Arena maintains a niche yet dedicated community. Remarkably, half of the active users subscribe, providing consistent revenue to sustain operations. The subscription options, priced at $7 monthly or $70 yearly, ensure a stable financial foundation, allowing the team to focus on user experience and community engagement.
Moderation and Social Interaction on Arena
Arena's moderation approach revolves around contextual understanding, as content often reflects research or creative endeavors from users. Challenges include distinguishing between valuable contributions and potential abuses, like mental health crises. The platform's intimate scale encourages community support and guidance, steering away from typical toxic online interactions. This unique feature promotes a safer, more engaged community where individuals are valued beyond mere entertainment or engagement metrics.
At 13 years old, Are.na boasts a healthy, creative community and stable finances while rejecting many of the hallmarks of popular social media platforms such as a focus on video, endless push notifications, or surveillant advertising. For this week’s edition of our Good Web series, founder Charles Broskoski sits with Mike to walk through what […]
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