How I Accidentally Started a Community in My Town
I ran a small ad experiment out of boredom. What happened surprised me.
I didn’t set out to build a community.
It started as an early summer boredom test. Run some ads, see if anyone in the city where I live in the Netherlands would be interested in meeting other digital entrepreneurs.
In English, of all things. Nothing fancy. A quick landing page with Lovable, and let’s go.
To my surprise, it worked.
People signed up: not random emails, or dubious profiles, but real people: freelancers, solopreneurs, startup founders, even experienced professionals thinking about starting a business.
They filled in 10 in-depth questions just for the chance to join something that wasn’t even certain to exist.
That’s when it clicked: even in a small city like this one (200k+ people counting the nearby towns), there’s appetite for something curated.
Something smaller. Focused. Less “fancy” on paper.
The fun part? Most of those who signed up are local Dutch builders… but they joined the waitlist in English, started by the “non-local guy.”
My thesis
One of my core theses is that in the AI era, ultra-local communities will win big.
As technology makes global online spaces more automated (and noisier), real-world, human-scale connections - especially niche and interest-driven - become CRAZY valuable.
Even as an introvert, I feel the need to connect with like-minded people, whether online or in person.
It’s ironic: the more the world gets flooded with AI content, the more people will need real conversations with real peers.
The experiment so far
Small ad spend (~€300)
Dozens of applications in just a few months
A simple landing page + basic creatives was enough
Early engagement is strong : people are applying thoughtfully, opening emails, even reaching out on LinkedIn. If anyone from the community is reading this: much appreciated!
What’s next?
I’m still figuring out format. Should it be:
Small curated meetups?
An online platform?
1:1 introductions?
A mix of all three?
No idea, but this is not the point of the article
The bigger question
If this model works here, could it scale? Imagine curated digital builder communities in multiple cities. Vetted. Selective. Real people, real skin in the game.
No AI hustle bros.
No ghost-town Slacks.
No “comment ‘this’ to get a PDF.”
That might be my next experiment (but hey, there is a long queue of these)
📊 For paid subs: I’ll share the behind-the-scenes of the ad campaign soon - targeting, CPCs, conversion rates, and what surprised me most. If you’re not subscribed but really curious, drop me a comment or DM and I’ll share a glimpse.
Quick Win:
If you want to test demand for a new idea, don’t overcomplicate it. A simple landing page + €200–€300 in ads is often enough to show whether there’s real appetite. We always talk about that but it’s easy to forget.
The key isn’t a perfect funnel - it’s whether people care enough to click, apply, or give you their email.
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📌 Curious about the framework I use to test MVPs (the same mindset behind this experiment)? I wrote it up here:
How to Test an MVP Without Wasting Time or Money (Be Shameless) #3
Originally published on Linkedin on April 24, 2025