Community Type Matrix

Choose the right community format based on PMF status and customer type

Camille Ricketts
How Notion leveraged community to build a $10B business

Community Type Matrix

"I actually created this two by two matrix... on the axis you have whether you have hit product market fit or if you're still exploring product market fit and then whether you're strongly enterprise or strongly consumer. And based on where you land in that two by two matrix, there's a form of community or a community related initiative that could be right for you." - Camille Ricketts

What It Is

The Community Type Matrix is a 2x2 framework for determining what type of community investment is appropriate for your company based on two factors:

  1. Product-Market Fit Status: Pre-PMF vs Post-PMF
  2. Customer Type: Enterprise-oriented vs Consumer-oriented

Different quadrants call for fundamentally different community approaches. What works for a post-PMF consumer company (like Notion) would fail for a pre-PMF enterprise company.

The Matrix

                    Consumer                    Enterprise
                    ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
                    │                                       │
    Post-PMF        │  Ambassadors &         Champions &    │
                    │  Influencers           Consultants    │
                    │                                       │
                    │  (Notion, Figma)       (Salesforce)   │
                    │                                       │
                    ├───────────────────────────────────────┤
                    │                                       │
    Pre-PMF         │  Early Adopter         Customer       │
                    │  Beta Community        Advisory Boards│
                    │                                       │
                    │  (Stealth startups)    (B2B SaaS)     │
                    │                                       │
                    └───────────────────────────────────────┘

How It Works

Quadrant 1: Post-PMF + Consumer

Approach: Ambassadors & Influencers

Best for: Freemium products with strong atomic units of sharing

  • Ambassador programs with power users
  • Influencer partnerships
  • User-hosted events
  • Template/resource marketplaces
  • Large community Slack/Discord spaces

Examples: Notion, Figma, Canva

Quadrant 2: Post-PMF + Enterprise

Approach: Champions & Consultants

Best for: Enterprise products with land-and-expand motion

  • Champions community (power users inside customer companies)
  • Consultant ecosystem (people who help customers implement)
  • Certification programs
  • Customer success integration
  • Smaller, curated community spaces

Examples: Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot

Quadrant 3: Pre-PMF + Consumer

Approach: Early Adopter Beta Community

Best for: Products still finding fit with early enthusiasts

  • Small beta communities (<100 people)
  • Direct feedback loops with founders
  • Early access programs
  • High-touch relationships with early believers

Quadrant 4: Pre-PMF + Enterprise

Approach: Customer Advisory Boards

Best for: Enterprise products validating their approach

  • Small circles (10-20) of ideal-fit customers
  • Advisory board structure with incentives
  • Direct influence on product direction
  • Foundation for future evangelists

How to Apply It

  1. Locate your position - Be honest about PMF status and customer type

  2. Match the community type - Don't try to build an ambassador program pre-PMF

  3. Start small in the right format - Even post-PMF, start with 20 people before scaling

  4. Evolve as you move - Your community type should change as you gain PMF or move market

  5. Measure appropriately - Pre-PMF communities optimize for learning; post-PMF can track growth metrics

When to Use It

  • Before investing in community building
  • When deciding what community programs to prioritize
  • When community efforts aren't working (you may be in the wrong quadrant)
  • When planning community strategy for a new product or market

Source

  • Guest: Camille Ricketts
  • Episode: "How Notion leveraged community to build a $10B business"
  • Key Discussion: (00:33:34) - Full explanation of the 2x2 matrix
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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