From 4 Replies to 24,000 Members
How Tana built a thriving community by starting small
When Olav Sindre Kriken, Founder & COO of Tana, started building their community, he took an approach that might seem counterintuitive in today's growth-obsessed world: he went small.
Really small.
I was lucky enough to chat with Olav recently and their journey is proof that anyone can build a passionate following by starting small, focusing on the right platforms, and doubling down on real relationships.
Here’s how they did it.
1. Start Small—and Keep It Personal
Tana’s story began with Olav personally sending 400 DMs on Reddit. Only four people responded, but that didn’t matter. Those four became Tana’s first “true fans.” Early on, Olav and his team did things that weren’t scalable—like intense one-on-one support. By investing heavily in just a handful of users, they built an authentic foundation for the wider community.
“Our product today looks like it does because of the community.”
Treat your early members like diamonds—nurture them and they’ll help shape your product in ways you never imagined.
2. Choose Your Platforms Strategically
Not every platform will fit your audience or brand. Tana passed on Discord to reach beyond developers and gamers, opting for Slack instead—even though Slack’s free version limits messages to 90 days. Sometimes you just need to embrace platform imperfections and pick one place to go all in, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
3. Create Scarcity
There’s nothing quite like the allure of “you can’t have it yet.”
Tana grew a massive waitlist of 160,000 people and let individuals skip the line by joining the community and introducing themselves. Scarcity not only builds hype but raises perceived value—so consider whether charging for your product or access might actually boost interest over a free giveaway.
4. Build Community Structure and Roles
Not everyone in your community engages the same way. Tana created different tiers:
Navigators: Power users who help run the community.
Ambassadors: Content creators who develop courses, templates, and resources.
Core Members: The bulk of the community, who participate at varying levels.
Reward top contributors with exclusive features, behind-the-scenes info, or direct meetings with the team. Monetary or swag incentives?
Not mandatory if you’re providing genuine value and recognition.
5. Let Your Community Evolve
A community that starts as product-focused can grow into something bigger—a place where people come to improve themselves and connect with others. Tana added channels around personal growth, as well as identity-specific groups (ADHD, regional channels) so people could find peers with shared interests. Feature requests and feedback got their own space to keep conversations organized.
6. Manage External Presence With Care
You can’t control every external platform, but you can engage thoughtfully. Tana targeted X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn for their tech-savvy manager audience. On Reddit, they collaborated with moderators instead of trying to take over. And because Slack doesn’t store older messages, they made it a habit to export and archive everything to BigQuery every 30 days to preserve valuable insights.
7. Keep Leaders Involved
Community thrives when leadership is front and center. Olav—co-founder himself—is active and visible. A simple greeting to every new member goes a long way toward showing people you value them. When you do roll out major changes, expect an outcry. Negative feedback isn’t necessarily bad—silence is worse. Encourage your team not to take criticism personally; it means people care.
8. Choose Tools That Serve You
While there are countless community tools out there, find the ones that align with your goals. Tana uses CommonRoom for its robust notification and engagement features. Don’t jump on every shiny new platform—pick what keeps you responsive and informed.
9. Foster Member-Led Content
One of the biggest wins for Tana was letting community members take the lead on courses, templates, and tutorials. Support your creators with early features and insider knowledge, rather than just handing out money. People love to tell the story of “being early” and growing alongside a brand or product.
10. Embrace Growth Systems
Scaling means organizing your community. Tana rolled out their “Navigator” program to manage the load as membership soared, recognizing that high engagement also means more vocal feedback. Remember that most uproar around changes is temporary—once users adapt to a new flow, things settle.
The biggest takeaway? Deep, authentic connections beat shallow numbers every time.
Your Turn: Build a Community That Lasts
Ready to cultivate a connected, enthusiastic community of your own?
Don’t wait until everything is perfect.
Start with a few true fans, treat them like diamonds, and be present as a leader.
Master a single platform, encourage user-driven content, and harness the power of scarcity when it makes sense.
Call to Action
Pick a single platform to focus on this month—commit to daily interactions and personalized engagement.
Identify your “true fans” and give them exclusive value or responsibilities, like moderating discussions or testing new features.
Embrace feedback—positive or negative—because it means people care enough to speak up.
Implement these steps, and watch your community transform from a handful of fans into a thriving, engaged network of advocates. Now is the time to act—go build your own Tana-style community success story!