I'd estimate that around 95% of big new ideas tried in a community flop.
They're introduced, they're pushed, they gain some initial momentum, and then they flop.
In the worse case scenario they provoke a backlash.
Like managing any community, you need to consult and build support for big initiatives before you launch them. The hard work isn't the web development for the idea, the design, getting budget approval. The hard work is never any of these things.
The hard work is approaching dozens of members every day, asking them for their thoughts on the idea, incorporating what you can, and gaining their buy in.
Community organizers and those working in the traditional community space have been doing this for years. We're only just starting to wake up to it.
