Why Most Tech “Communities” Fail Before They Begin

Audience 1st

Everyone in tech is suddenly “building community.” But most aren’t building anything close to the real thing - community that's built on mission, trust, and transparency.

In this raw, no-buzzword conversation recorded live at CyberMarketingCon, Dani Woolf sits with Ben Siegel, George Kamide, Bronwen Hudson, and Elliot Volkman, real community builders, to unpack what community actually means, why most efforts fall flat, and what it takes to build something alive, resilient, and trustworthy - especially in an industry like cybersecurity where trust is scarce and attention is fractured.

We go deep on:

• Why most corporate “communities” are poorly disguised funnels

• The difference between an audience, a user group, and a true community

• What trust looks like when your members are CISOs, not consumers

• Why growth is nonlinear, unpredictable, and absolutely not guaranteed

• The emotional labor and invisible moderation that holds real communities together

You’ll also hear tactical advice on how to build thriving spaces across Reddit, Slack, LinkedIn, and beyond - without flashy tools or six-figure budgets.