Watch out! VCs just learned about “CoMmUnItIes”.

Example 1 & 2.

When VCs start blabbing about the “next big thing” like this, it’s a sign to run for the hills.

Chatbots, crypto, VR - they’ve all gone through this.

But this time, it’s about “communities” - which is not a new concept and there is no new technology.

We’ve been building communities for years already.

All businesses are already ‘communities’ - we just don’t call it that.

Barstool Sports? That’s a community of frat bros. Dribbble? A community for designers. Your local gym is a community for people who like to work out. Your workplace is a community. Your favorite YouTuber? That's a community.

If anyone tells you they are an “expert community builder”, also run for the hills.

Communities are not Slack groups and forums. Communities live across all platforms - Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, the mainstream media, and in real life.

Usually, the best communities are hard to define, don’t live in on any specific platform and are not owned by any corporation.

Can we stop Silicon Valley'ing the idea of community?