The Community Currency
from Marginally Better Hosted by Joe Taylor Jr.
A productivity app on the brink of collapse rebuilt itself in a small apartment in Kyoto—and a decade later became an $11 billion company with 100 million users. What changed? Not the product alone, but the people around it. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rise of community as currency—why companies like Notion, Figma, and Discord are growing without massive marketing budgets, while others spend billions trying (and failing) to manufacture connection. It’s a deep dive into what real community looks like, why it can’t be forced, and how businesses can create the conditions for customers to become something more: collaborators, advocates, and builders. Episode Links: Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any better Meta's Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarter Meta Plans 30% Cut to Metaverse Budget in 2026 Meta Metaverse Layoffs 2026: Inside Reality Labs Meltdown The 5 Phases of Figma's Community-Led Growth Community Growth at Figma Figma's Community Ecosystem: From Plugins to Proof Points Discord Statistics 2026 Discord Statistics 2026: Users, Revenue & More Branded Discord Community Building Guide 2026 LEGO Ideas Blog — 146 Product Ideas Qualify for Second 2025 Review LEGO Ideas Case Study Community Growth at LEGO Notion's lost years, its near collapse, staying small to move fast (Ivan Zhao) Ivan Zhao: "In 2015, we were weeks away from shutting down" The Kyoto Reboot: How Ivan Zhao Rebuilt Notion Notion CEO Ivan Zhao: Augmenting Human Intellect How Notion Does Marketing: Community, Influencers & Growth Playbooks Templates, Creators, and Power Users: Notion's MAU Flywheel Notion Community Led Growth Case Study How Notion Used Community to Scale to 20M+ Users Notion's Growth Strategy: From 0 to $10 Billion How Notion Built the Perfect SaaS Brand Ambassador Program Notion at $11 Billion: A Masterclass in Patience Notion Statistics 2026: Growth, Revenue & Impact Notion Valuation: How a Bootstrapped Startup Hit $10 Billion Sephora's Secret Sauce: Exclusive Experiences over Discounts Sephora's loyalty SVP shares tips on creating a best-in-class loyalty program Sephora Loyalty: 4 Reasons It Disrupts the Market Ultimate Guide to Community-Led Growth The Complete Discord Marketing Strategy for 2026 Ravelry — About Our Site Knit Like Granny — Ravelry Reveals: 79+ Statistics
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A productivity app on the brink of collapse rebuilt itself in a small apartment in Kyoto—and a decade later became an $11 billion company with 100 million users. What changed? Not the product alone, but the people around it. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rise of community as currency—why companies like Notion, Figma, and Discord are growing without massive marketing budgets, while others spend billions trying (and failing) to manufacture connection. It’s a deep dive into what real community looks like, why it can’t be forced, and how businesses can create the conditions for customers to become something more: collaborators, advocates, and builders. Episode Links: Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any better Meta's Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarter Meta Plans 30% Cut to Metaverse Budget in 2026 Meta Metaverse Layoffs 2026: Inside Reality Labs Meltdown The 5 Phases of Figma's Community-Led Growth Community Growth at Figma Figma's Community Ecosystem: From Plugins to Proof Points Discord Statistics 2026 Discord Statistics 2026: Users, Revenue & More Branded Discord Community Building Guide 2026 LEGO Ideas Blog — 146 Product Ideas Qualify for Second 2025 Review LEGO Ideas Case Study Community Growth at LEGO Notion's lost years, its near collapse, staying small to move fast (Ivan Zhao) Ivan Zhao: "In 2015, we were weeks away from shutting down" The Kyoto Reboot: How Ivan Zhao Rebuilt Notion Notion CEO Ivan Zhao: Augmenting Human Intellect
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