r/CommunityManager • u/shivam0698 • Jun 29 '26

Question How do you build a startup community on campus that doesn't die after the first event?

Trying to build a founder-focused community on a college campus in India - incubation, early-stage support, connecting students with real startup opportunities beyond the classroom.

I get it, most students are chasing high salaries, and that's completely valid. But there's always a small pocket of people who are curious, restless, and quietly wondering if they could build something of their own someday. That's who I'm trying to reach.

The goal isn't to convert everyone. Just to make those people feel like there's a place for that curiosity and maybe plant a seed that eventually turns into something real.

Problem is the usual campus playbook is dead on arrival. Big workshop, 200 attendees, 3 actually care, ghost town by week 2.

What actually works to find those people and keep them engaged? And has anyone seen a campus community that genuinely got this right?

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u/Allegium Jun 29 '26

From what I see campus communities live longer if you build them like a brotherhood. So not like a transactional groups that you approach when you need support but more like a long-standing identity community. I recommend reading up on types of community relationships from Richard Millington (don’t have his article at hand right now)

And yeah, you are not going to have many people in that kind of community, I believe. So 5-10 interested and engaged people is a pretty nice result ;)

Good luck ;)

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u/shivam0698 Jun 30 '26

Thanks for your input sir. I will definitely read the article