30 Million users and a $10 Billion valuation...
Here are my 3 fav lessons from Notion's community-led growth playbook👇
1/ Empower your community to create ✨🔨
One TikTok made by a loyal user OUTSHINES 10 company produced videos.
Notion recognized that and wanted to encourage community members to share their expertise...
So they set up “Notion Creator Challenge” to put it on steroids.
Rules were simple - users got paid if they made a video about Notion. The more viral it got, the bigger the bucks.
This challenge set off a wave of user-generated content and gave birth to “Notionfluencers”.
Everyday folks started making videos on managing your Notion workspace, creating beautiful templates, and more…
As a result, videos showcasing “Notion secrets” hit millions of views.
And several people started earning a living selling templates, consulting services, etc.
A creator even made $1 Million selling Notion templates!
Creation helps drive culture. Culture helps build communities. And communities make you contagious.
2/ Foster connections without exerting control 🧶
Notion saw early users discussing their love for the product in different online communities without any prompting.
They wanted to nurture this from the beginning, so they hired a community manager when they were a small team of just ten people…
Interestingly, he was a community member running a Notion Facebook group that got the team's attention.
Notion also noticed that users were eager to get together both in-person and online.
They showed support by providing funding for user-organized events.
They even encouraged users to host online communities wherever they wanted.
This gave Notion global reach with community groups spanning over 50 languages on FB, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, Slack, Discord, Whatsapp, and more.
Notion then launched Block by Block, a conference to facilitate collaboration and learning amongst thousands of members from all their groups.
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success - Henry Ford.
3/ Reward community contributions 🏆
Notion celebrates outstanding community members, showering them with love through generous perks:
- Unique swag designed with community members in mind
- Access to Slack and workspace connecting power users all over the globe
- Early access to new features
- Direct access to Notion team members for questions, suggestions, etc.
- Priority product support
- Free team workspaces to use for community efforts
In turn, these ambassadors oversee Notion's community groups, including YouTube channels and virtual/ IRL events.
Ultimately, growth is not just about numbers; it's about building meaningful connections.
, founded in 2013, shows us that building a thriving
takes time, but when done right, it can drive customer acquisition, retention, and advocacy, leading to sustainable long-term growth.