Where we are now

The last 16 months have been incredible. The Communities platform has gone from just an idea to rough prototype, to today where we proudly announce the Alpha release.

So far we've managed to:

• Reimagine and build the foundations of a social network so that it is local and community-first
• Add personal messages and notifications
• Create dynamic roles and permissions
• Support 6 types of resources (posts, discussions, places, events, choices, and actors) to help manage community activities
• Make it easier to promote your community both online and offline
• Build a Help Center
• Start a company
• Become GDPR compliant

Believe me, that's a lot to juggle for a single person on weekends and spare afternoons. But hard work aside, it's been a pleasure to see everything take shape. And it seems like everything is moving faster than I anticipated!

But it hasn't been just about building software. I’ve been lucky to connect with so many interesting people who share a passion for nurturing real-world relationships and growing communities. Listening to their stories and struggles has been a priceless learning experience. There is still so much we can do to help local communities thrive!

It’s been motivating to see all the positive energy around community building here in Prague. I am deeply thankful for everyone who has supported me and the project with their time and guidance. A special thanks to Fernando, Jessica, Jasper, and Val from Mini Kino, who have met with me regularly to shape the product and provide valuable feedback.

We are far from done, however. In many ways, it feels like we haven't even started. We've been laser-focused on building the platform and not so much on it's adoption. That needs to change if we want to make our goal of revitalize local areas a reality. In 2026, we will shift gears: our focus will turn to adoption and growth. We have already partnered with a few local organizations in Prague, and we’ll do our best to help them solve the key issues they face while also finding more groups who would like to join our platform.

We aren't stopping. If anything, the last year has shown that not only there is an interest for a platform like this, but also that it might be crucial for a healthy and resilient society.

What's ahead

We still have plenty of features to build (see our roadmap), but we've learned that having the right tools is only part of the equation. Far more important is creating trust. As we scale, we must ensure the platform remains secure, reliable, and welcoming. We also need to operate with total transparency and communicate clearly and often about what is happening.

Realistically, I can't achieve all of this alone while working part-time. Because of that, this year the biggest priority is finding co-founders who want to join me in our mission of creating a pro-social plafrom that helps revitilize local regions and human connection.

I think the ideal team will be four people, each contributing in a different key area of the project.

• Head of Development (me) - Building the product, guiding the team, and anything in-between
• Head of Growth - In charge of branding, marketing and website content
• Head of Operations - Leading social projects and supporting in-person communities
• Head of Product & Design - Shaping the product, visual branding, and user experience

Looking ahead there is one more challege however, by getting more people on-board we need to inevitably start thinking about how to make this project work financially. So far everything has been paid for by myself, given the size of the platform up till now this has been managable, however getting additional people on board who might want salaries is something different, and I would not be able to finance everything myself.

So by growing the team, we also commit to start operating as a business, which means creating sustainable revenue. Since the inception of this project our aim was to create a self-sustainable platform with an ethical, pro-social business model. We are staying true to this vision, while we also commit to stay transparent about how we make it work financially.

Overall we see three possible sources of income that are ethical and align with our values:

Users

Our primary goal is to solve real-world problems for communities and individuals, so we would be thrilled to have you as customers. While basic usage will always remain free, we plan to offer subscription plans for advanced features.

The goal isn't to gatekeep vital parts of the platform, but to offer extras that enhance the aesthetics, save time, or help you grow a larger community. In fact, we are close to releasing a community subscription plan that gives early access to some beta features. We'd love for you to try it and give us your feedback.

While we want this to be our main income source, it takes time to grow. That is why we are considering two other sources.

Government

Partnering with governments to support local regions is a proven model in Europe. Companies like Mijnbuurtje (Netherlands), Nebenan (Germany), and Hoplr (Belgium) have used government contracts to achieve their pro-social goals.

We believe this can be a key part of our mission, bringing the state and citizens closer together can help us solve some of the largest social problems.

Local Businesses

Finally, we are considering working with local businesses to help them promote themselves. This aligns with our goal of improving local regions and brings value to users by making it easier to find and support local shops and services.

Summing it all up

Publishing this Alpha release is a huge milestone, but we’re really just getting started. Ahead of us lies the challenge to make this project work and have real impact with what we've build. It will be a hard and exciting ride.

Our vision stays the same, it's to make a platfrom that will help revitalize local regions through social connection, but to get there we need to do more than just build tools that help communities communicate, organize, and grow their impact. We also need to engage with people and bring them along on our journey, alongside making this project financially viable. This will ensure that not only we are building the right solutions but also that we will be having a lasting positive influence in the world.

Finally, we must not forget to enjoy the process! And so, I am glad to announce that we'll be hosting an Alpha Release Party here in Prague early next year. Stay tuned for details!