Helpful friction: why easy isn't always better for communities

Simon Tomes is joined by cohost Nicola Earle for a catch-up after London Community Week. Nicola shares what it was like hosting (not "MCing") a big in-person event for the first time, from timekeeping and reading the room to handling on-the-fly tech issues. They also touch on Rosie Sherry's cameo recording of the show live at the conference alongside guest Marie Cruz.

The conversation turns to the shared sense of overwhelm many community professionals felt at the event, and why naming that feeling openly matters. From there, Simon and Nicola dig into a recurring theme: data. They discuss the MoTaverse's approach to building its own platform, an idea for a Claude skill that researches member organisations to spot industry trends, and Nicola's experience stripping a signup form down to the bare essentials to reduce drop-off.

They explore the balance between AI support and human connection in community platforms, including where AI should sit (member-facing or behind the scenes), and the idea of "helpful friction" versus friction that just gets in the way. Other topics include Tom Ross's take on mastermind groups fizzling out from a lack of friction, the MoTaverse principle of "always be inviting", the ethics of nudging members without becoming spammy, and a shared excitement about AI helping community professionals demonstrate value and ROI. The episode closes with a fun tangent on Rosie's GIF-making Claude skill and an idea to build a shared, open library of community-focused Claude skills.

Handy links

• Nicola Earle on LinkedIn
• Mobilise and Mobilise Hub
• London Community Week on LinkedIn
• Serena Snoad
• Tom Ross
• Claude