Don’t Make Anyone Angry!

…isn’t a smart philosophy when it comes to managing a community.

It’s like asking a politician to lead without upsetting anyone.

Not only is it impractical, but it causes more harm than good.

The most important decisions you need to make will upset some members. If they didn’t then they wouldn’t be decisions at all, they would just be obvious next steps.

Every time you remove a feature, some members will be upset – even if it improves the experience for the many. Every time you remove members who aren’t a good fit, you’re going to infuriate some members. Every time you feature or promote the work of members, you might upset the members you didn’t feature.

Of course, it’s emotionally difficult to accept that members are going to be angry as a result of your actions. But remember that the things which might delight the many will probably upset the few.

If you’re managing a community, you’re likely to make a few enemies. That might not be a bad thing.