HBR On Strategy

How to Turn Your Customer Base into a Community

Apr 23, 2025

Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, dives into the pivotal role of community in business. He emphasizes hiring for cultural fit over traditional resumes and discusses the impact of genuine engagement on customer loyalty. Mullenweg compares community building to hosting a dinner party, where authentic connections thrive. He also explores the freemium model's effectiveness and shares insightful strategies for enhancing customer feedback. Tune in for valuable lessons on turning your customer base into a thriving community!

17:22

Episode guests

Matt Mullenweg

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Fostering customer engagement and feedback is crucial for building a loyal community that drives long-term business success.

Implementing unique hiring practices like auditions ensures cultural alignment, which is essential for maintaining a cohesive work environment.

Deep dives

Building Community for Sustainable Business Success

Creating a strong community is essential for businesses looking to drive long-term success. The founder and CEO of Automatic emphasizes that prioritizing the interests of both customers and contributors can be beneficial for the company over the long haul, even if it means less profit in the short term. This approach involves fostering engagement and feedback, which helps in building a loyal and active user base. By focusing on community-first strategies, companies can cultivate an ecosystem that promotes collaboration and shared success.

Intro

2min

Building Community for Success

7min

Building Community Without Expectations

2min

The Economics of Freemium and Small Changes

8min

Building a Thriving Customer Community

2min

“Community” is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in the business world. But what does it really mean to build one—and what does it take to make it last? More importantly, how can businesses create communities that drive long-term success? Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress and the founder and CEO of Automattic, tackles these questions in this episode. He shares insights on fostering community within a firm—like hiring the right people through auditions instead of resumes—and within a customer base by encouraging engagement and feedback.

Key episode topics include: customer strategy, customer experience, customer feedback, hiring and recruitment, brand management, strategy,

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: The Creator of WordPress

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HBR On Strategy

How to Turn Your Customer Base into a Community

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Building Community for Sustainable Business Success

Hiring for Culture through Auditions

The Power of the Freemium Model and User Engagement

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts