By Chris Heivly, Managing Director at Build The Fort and Startup Community EIR @ Techstars

If you lead a startup community or operate an ESO, you are going to run into three types of people. Understanding this dynamic is necessary for you to achieve your goals and generate community success.

The first group is the easy group. I call these the willing. They already understand that the current version of the community is not good enough. They see the gaps. They know founders need more access, more trust, more real help, and fewer performative events. They are ready to make changes because they understand a simple truth: you do not change the status quo by protecting it. This group is the group that you start new activities with.

These people are gold.

They show up. They make introductions. They ask, “How can I help?” and actually mean it. They do not need to be dragged into the work. They are already leaning forward.

The second group is the movable middle. They are hesitant, but not locked in. Their feet are not cemented to the floor. They may have been burned before. They may not understand why founder-first matters. They may be used to the old way of doing things: committees, ribbon cuttings, logo soup, and meetings about future meetings.

But they are not the enemy. They just have too little information or a little trepidation about how to engage.

This group needs context. They need to see the work. They need to feel the energy that comes from visible and authentic collaboration, shared networks, and members who actually show up — all core signs of a healthy startup community.

Your job is to bring as many of these people as possible into group one. It is where you should spend 50% of your time.

Then there is the third group.

I sometimes call this group bad actors. This is the group that likes their position and the the norms/culture exactly the way they are today.

They may use all the right words, like Innovation, Ecosystem, Collaboration, and Founder support. But watch closely to what they optimize for. Are they helping founders, or protecting their seat? Are they opening doors, or controlling access? Are they building community, or building their own kingdom?

This is a dangerous group because they often have money, titles, history, or institutional power. And because of that, startup community leaders keep inviting them back.

Stop doing that.

I do not mean start a public fight or make some dramatic announcement. I mean, stop giving them your power. You can start by:

• Stop inviting them to your event.

• Stop putting them on panels.

• Stop giving them the primary speaking spot (which only reinforces their standing).

• Stop building your strategy around their approval.

• Stop relying on them for money if the money comes with control, delay, ego, or a hidden tax on the community.

Startup communities are complex systems. You cannot command-and-control your way to a better one. You create the environment, amplify the good behavior, and dampen the bad behavior.

That means your time matters. Your attention matters. Your actions matter.

Spend most of your energy with group one. Invest real effort in moving group two. And stop letting group three slow down the work.

The community will get lighter almost immediately.

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