What we learned growing a community from 500 to 5000

Gitpod's community has grown from 500 to 5000 in just under a year. The company faced challenges such as scattered communities and lack of timely responses to queries. To address these issues, the first dedicated community hire streamlined the process by creating an official home for the community on Discord and introducing internal tools like Front and Community Captains. AXON was hired in January 2022, further expanding the community team. The top three learnings from scaling the Gitpod community are: intentionality in building a positive culture, making being part of a community an experience, and recognizing superfans who contribute significantly to the community's growth. Looking ahead, Gitpod plans to empower its community to lead initiatives such as events, conferences, and local communities worldwide.