TSN #30 - Extremely Niche Paid Communities 🎉

Hey! 👋

This is a special one - it's our 30th consecutive Sunday together! To celebrate, I'm sharing one of my favorite business models: hyper-specific paid communities that solve very particular problems for very particular people.

Enjoy!

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🎬 The Pitch

Imagine building an exclusive community so specific that members instantly recognize each other as their exact type of people. We're not talking about "communities for entrepreneurs" - we're talking about "communities for left-handed aerospace engineers building bootstrapped startups in Europe."

Here's the concept: Find an extremely specific intersection of profession, situation, and goal. Create an exclusive space where these people can share ultra-specific challenges and solutions. When you nail the niche, you can charge €200-2000/month because you're the only place these people can find their exact peers.

The best part? Once you have the right people, the community practically runs itself since members are genuinely excited to help others facing their exact challenges.

📊 Market Insights

The niche community space is booming:

• 76% of professionals prefer specialized networks over general ones

• Average paid community membership: €67/month

• Ultra-niche communities command 3-10x higher prices

• 89% retention rate in highly specific communities Source: Community Platform Report 2024

💡 The Concept

Example Niches:

1. "Series A+ Hardware Founders Lab"

   • For: Tech founders post Series A

   • Focus: Manufacturing & supply chain

   • Price: €1000/month

   • Value: Peer problem solving, vendor intros

2. "Hardware Focus Solo GP Dealflow Exchange"

   • For: Single GP venture funds

   • Focus: Deal sharing & co-investment

   • Price: €500/month + deal carry

   • Value: Exclusive deal access

3. "Enterprise Sales for Specific Dev Tools"

   • For: Sales leaders at developer tools companies

   • Focus: Enterprise sales strategies

   • Price: €750/month

   • Value: Playbooks & peer support

4. "New Chiropractor Growth Lab"

   • For: Independent chiropractors

   • Focus: Patient acquisition & retention

   • Price: €300/month

   • Value: Marketing strategies & scripts

5. "Sustainable DTC Operations/Hiring/GoalSetting"

   • For: Operations leaders at sustainable brands

   • Focus: Eco-friendly supply chain

   • Price: €450/month

   • Value: Vendor network & best practices

The more you niche down your topic the better. Try 3-4 levels of niching down. Bonus points if you have deep knowledge in a particular topic.

💰 Revenue Streams

• Primary: Monthly memberships (€200-2000/month)

• Secondary: 1-on-1 expert calls

• Additional: Resource marketplace

• Sponsored vendor introductions

🛠️ Bootstrappability Score: 9/10

Start with a Slack channel / Skool account / Discord and Stripe account. Main investment is in value creation and member curation.

💻 Non-Tech Factor: 8/10

Basic community tools are all you need. Focus on member quality and engagement.

🚀 Getting Started

1. Niche Selection:

   • Find professional intersection

   • Validate willingness to pay

   • Check competition

   • Estimate market size

2. Community Design:

   • Clear value proposition

   • Membership criteria

   • Engagement rules

   • Success metrics

3. Initial Members:

   • Start with 10-15 perfect fits

   • Personal outreach

   • Free beta period

   • Get testimonials

4. Launch Strategy:

   • Waitlist creation

   • Application process

   • Onboarding system

   • Content calendar

5. Growth Plan:

   • Member-get-member program

   • Content marketing in niche

   • Strategic partnerships

   • Expert speaker series

💪 Pros & 😓 Cons

• Pro: High margins, low overhead

• Pro: Strong network effects

• Con: Takes time to find perfect niche

• Con: Need to maintain quality as you grow

🔍 Steal Somebody’s Homework & Dive Deeper

Want to explore this idea further? Check out:

• Trend Club - Premium consumer trends community

• On Deck - Specialized founder communities

• Chief - Executive women's network

Enjoy the Holiday Season and thank you for being part of our community for 30 weeks straight! 🎉

- Slavo