Sunrise Launch: A Calmer Way to Start Your Online Community
A lot of people picture their online community launch happening all at once, like a lightning bolt. One big announcement, lots of new members, and instant activity.
Real life rarely works that way, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s simply how communities grow.
A steadier and more helpful approach is what I call a Sunrise Launch. It unfolds gradually, giving you space to learn from the people who join first. And it helps you create a community that is active and welcoming by the time the doors are fully open.
Let me walk you through what this looks like and why it works so well.
Why Lightning-Bolt Launches Create Stress
When people picture a “big launch,” they often think:
Everything needs to be built before anyone joins
Lots of people join right away
Early engagement will match expectations
The first day determines success
That’s a lot of pressure. And it often leads to building more than you need, which doesn’t feel great when your early members uncover the need for something different.
A Sunrise Launch takes the pressure way down.
What a Sunrise Launch Looks Like
Instead of opening your community to everyone at once, you start with a smaller group of the right people. Choose people who fit the vision and want to be part of the foundation.
This gives you room to:
Launch sooner with a simpler setup
Learn from real engagement, not assumptions
Adjust your plan based on what members actually need
Save time and energy by building only what’s helpful
Create genuine momentum before opening wider
This approach works no matter what platform you use. You can use powerful Mighty Networks tools—like Space features, the Welcome Checklist, or Automations—to support it, but the strategy itself is tool-agnostic.
A Real Example: When Early Engagement Surprises You
One of my clients runs a long-standing home-services business. They’re using Mighty Networks to build an online community to share their knowledge with others in their industry.
We began by defining a clear guiding vision. Then we chose a simpler version of that vision to launch first.
They invited 10–20 founding members, people they trusted and knew would benefit. As those members began interacting, my client expected to see certain things happen. Instead, the patterns were different.
Here’s what I want to highlight:
They didn’t take the unexpected engagement as failure. They saw it as information.
They reached out to interview a few members, paid attention to what they were hearing, and explored other options. Those conversations helped them discover a needed shift to better support the community.
And because they started with a minimum valuable version of their original plans, they hadn’t spent months building things members never used. They saved a tremendous amount of time and energy by learning early.
This is exactly why the Sunrise Launch works.
Why a Sunrise Launch Creates Better Results
From supporting hundreds of community builders, here are the patterns I consistently see with sunrise launches:
You learn what matters sooner. Real engagement is the best feedback you’ll ever get.
You build less and build smarter. Less wasted work. Avoid complex setup before you understand what members actually need.
Early members feel invested. When people help shape the experience as they experience benefits, they care about the community more.
You avoid burnout. A Sunrise Launch helps you take steady, manageable steps instead of a single high-pressure moment.
When you open the doors wider, the community already has life. New members step into energy and gain momentum right away.
If You’re Planning a Launch Soon
If you’re preparing to launch an online community, consider starting with a Sunrise approach.
Begin with a small group.
Pay attention.
Let early members help you shape what comes next.
It’s calmer, clearer, and much more sustainable.
I recorded a short video that walks through this idea:
▶️ Start Your Online Community with a Sunrise Launch, Not a Lightning Bolt