In our exclusive interview with Ravi Kikan, a Startup Advisor and Author with a passion for helping startups succeed, we divulge into his diverse experience spanning various sectors, making him a valuable resource for entrepreneurs aiming for growth and success. As the dedicated group admin of the ‘Startup Specialists Network Group,’ we gain valuable insights into the dynamic world of community management.
With a staggering 1.4 million members, Ravi reveals how he navigates the vast and diverse landscape to ensure a harmonious and engaging atmosphere. He meticulously curates discussions, ensuring alignment with the group’s ethos while swiftly addressing negativity.
Handling conflicts with grace and empathy, Ravi showcases his exceptional leadership skills. Despite the challenges of overseeing such a massive community, Ravi’s commitment and passion shine through, exemplifying the dedication required for successful community management.
He emphasises the importance of staying attuned to member preferences and leveraging data to keep the group relevant. Ravi’s approach to community management is not just about growth but also about fostering and networking opportunities for all members, creating a thriving and supportive ecosystem.
Explore this interview to delve deeper into Ravi Kikan’s journey in nurturing the “Startup Specialists network group” community.
How do you manage and moderate the group to ensure a positive and inclusive atmosphere?
The group has over 1.4 million members. Conversations need to be aligned with the group members and their tastes. I spend 1 hour daily to ensure the right members get highlighted, and conversations are related to the group’s purpose. Negative vibes and posts are taken off from the group, and positive vibes are highlighted.
What strategies do you use to encourage member engagement and active participation?
- Clear ideation of the relevant content is the first priority.
- The active members are highlighted often
- The construct of the content is universal in nature and not biased
- Content mix is required to ensure the taste of the members for engagement
How do you handle and resolve conflicts or disagreements within the community?
- Simple agree-to-disagree formula
- Be polite and courteous
- Give the right platform for them to share their opinion
- Have empathy
What tools or resources are most helpful in effectively administering the group?
It’s all manual. You have to be there in the group to understand the vibes and check the analytics to understand what is going on well and what needs immediate attention.
How do you balance promoting valuable content while avoiding excessive self-promotion?
It is very simple. Things are adopted as long as the content is valuable for the group members and is related to startups and entrepreneurs. This may or may not be self-promoting. The only caveat is that non-relevant articles or promotions not aligned with the group are taken off quickly.
Can you share any success stories or major milestones achieved through the community’s efforts?
Many people have connected in the group and benefited from it in the last couple of years. Since group member-to-group member interaction is free of cost, people have used it to network with who’s who in the group. Since the diversity of members is huge, including Venture capitalists, startups, serial entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders from across the globe, it is a great interactive platform to connect with the right folks across the global startup ecosystem.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in social media marketing to keep the group relevant?
I try to understand what kind of content is working best for the community and try experimenting and implementing it within the group.
What metrics do you track to measure the success and growth of the community?
LinkedIn has built-in analytics to track the growth and efficacy of content.
Have you encountered any challenges in managing the group, and how did you overcome them?
Yeah, the size of the group is massive, so it sometimes takes time to monitor, moderate, and massively share across the group. I also run some 15 other groups on Linkedin, which are focussed on startups.
How do you foster a sense of camaraderie and networking among the group members?
- Respect each other
- Have Empathy
- Share your POV
- Take What you Want, Give Back What You Can
We thank Mr. Ravi Kikan for his time and for sharing his stories and experiences with our esteemed audience.
