Finding Your People

Circles are built by bringing together different types of participants who each play a distinct role in the ecosystem. Understanding these personas helps you know who you are looking for, where to find them, and how to engage them effectively.

The goal is not mass outreach, but targeted alignment: finding people who already care about similar problems and giving them a clear entry point into action.

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Core Target Personas

1. Activist / Circle Participant

The broad base of the movement. They care about a local, social, political, or cultural issue and want to contribute, but are not looking to lead.

They often come from civil society, mutual aid networks, intentional communities, civic tech spaces, or adjacent crypto-native ecosystems. Their motivations vary — from decentralisation and civil liberties to housing, food security, loneliness, or rebuilding local community life.

They are typically looking for practical ways to take action locally and meet others who share their concerns.

Motivations and mindset

• Wants belonging, purpose, and shared values

• Wants to contribute to real-world change, not just discussion

• Concerned about institutional decline and loss of local agency

• Interested in mutual aid, resilience, and community self-organisation

• Seeks friendship, skills, and meaningful participation

Typical behaviours

• Attends events, discussions, and workshops

• Observes before actively participating

• Volunteers for small tasks once trust is built

• Invites others from their network over time

Challenges

• Unclear entry point into action

• Uncertainty about skills or contribution

• Social hesitation or fear of not fitting in

• Loss of interest when groups lack structure or focus

What they need

• Clear onboarding and simple first steps

• Visible impact and early wins

• Friendly, welcoming community dynamics

• A clear sense of purpose and direction

2. Activist Builder

Core profile

A technically skilled contributor who builds tools, systems, or media that help communities coordinate and act.

They are motivated by solving real problems, not abstract technology adoption.

Motivations and mindset

• Wants to solve real-world coordination problems

• Interested in decentralised systems and civic infrastructure

• Prefers building over discussion

• Values autonomy, clarity, and execution speed

• Motivated by meaningful, visible impact

Typical behaviours

• Contributes code, design, research, or tooling

• Prefers clear tasks over open-ended discussion

• Works in focused bursts rather than continuous involvement

• Builds independently or in small teams

Challenges

• Frustration with vague direction or unclear ownership

• Resistance to unnecessary meetings or bureaucracy

• Concern about sustainability and the seriousness of projects

What they need

• Clear problem definitions and scoped tasks

• Autonomy and trust

• Lightweight coordination

• Visible, real-world outcomes

Outreach Principles (How to Find Your People)

Effective Circle growth is not mass outreach — it is targeted ecosystem activation.

Focus on channels where alignment already exists:

• Email past event attendees

• Local community and neighbourhood groups (Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram)

• Personal networks (LinkedIn, Instagram, direct messages)

• Student communities (universities, departments, societies)

• Co-working spaces, cafés, and community hubs

• Local NGOs and civil society organisations

• Event listing platforms and local media

• Radio stations and community newsletters

• Physical posters in high-traffic shared spaces (libraries, cafés, community centres)

Key principle:

Don’t try to reach everyone. Focus on people who already feel the problem.

Physical Touchpoints

Places where people already gather organically:

• Community centres

• Libraries

• Co-working spaces

• Town halls

• Cafés and cultural venues

• Local clubs and associations

• Bulletin boards and shared notice spaces

• University departments and student spaces

Find more tips on growing your Circle here.