It’s far more fun to make the big announcement and get a lot of attention than it is to sustain interest and overcome hurdles along the way.
This makes big announcements pretty much worthless. It also makes really pushing ahead with the task long after the attention has shifted elsewhere incredibly valuable.
People lose interest even in the very biggest projects.
Most people give up when they hit the dip.
Just in the past year, I’ve seen people give up on wikis, events, slack channels, video series, weekly AMAs and potentially game-changing projects because attention shifted elsewhere.
Don’t give up. The hype cycle is real for community initiatives too.
Just because attention shifts doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. The majority are always seeking the next quick thrill. It’s going to take time for people to change their habits, accept you as part of the field’s landscape, and want to contribute to your creation.
You’re going to be persuading people one by one to buy into your vision.
I worry today there are far more people willing to start a community project than complete one. Some people just want the applause. No applause? They move on to something else.
True believers don’t give up so easily. They know how important it is to be working on projects which will shape the community for years to come. Trust yourself and keep working at it.
