Howdy B.IRL Gang,
Colt & Saum from Build IRL here 👋.
Welcome to Fall🍂🍁. We’re pumped for a season filled with more IRL clubs.
Stay tuned - it’s going to be an exciting few months 💪🏽!
In this week’s edition:
Sharing our story with Weave🧶
The ‘Who’🕺🏽
Builder Spotlight: SF Poker Club ♠️🃏
Our upcoming east coast roadshow✈️🚄
Upcoming builder events🥳
01/ Sharing our story with Weave🧶
There’s nothing like meeting your kindred spirits—people who just get you right away! That’s how we felt connecting with the team at Weave: The Social Fabric Project ✨. We loved sharing the Build IRL story with them!
Their mission aligns perfectly with Build IRL’s: helping local IRL leaders weave stronger, more inclusive communities. Founded by David Brooks in 2018, Weave is all about rebuilding trust and tackling the divides keeping us apart. Whether it’s running a kids' sports league or sparking a conversation across generations, Weavers are building connection 💫.
Sign up for Weave’s newsletter and checkout more resources here! 😊
02/ The “Who”🕺🏽
We have talked to lots of community builders and one big question keeps coming up: “Why would anyone join, and give their time & money to my group?”🤔
Think about the IRL experiences we spend on today—workout classes, concerts, speaker events, or niche, unique activities. 🎤🏋️♂️ No wonder so many builders assume people won’t pay dues unless there’s a one-of-a-kind experience 🎯, pricey activity, or awesome perks.
But here’s the twist: it’s not just about the activity.
Our big counterintuitive learning that fundamentally shifted the way we think:
"Who" matters as much as "What" (in fact we believe it matters much more) for someone joining a club.
For example: I'm not great at bowling, so a random bowling night🎳? Meh. But bowling with a crew of diehard fans of my fav obscure sci-fi series📚👾? Yes, please! Even better if I get to hang with these same folks regularly and the group actually vibes together. Sign me up for that! 💬✨
The experience quality isn’t just about the activity you do—it’s also about curating who shows up, creating consistency and a right vibe where people actually connect (think: design, norms and culture). People value that!💫
We’re pumped to see more clubs focus on the who. Know any good examples? 🔍💡Drop 'em our way! 👀
If you or someone you know is a match, hit up the link below to join our waitlist for the next cohort!
03/ Club Spotlight: SF Poker Club ♠️🃏
Y’all know we love hyping up awesome builders and clubs, so we’re stoked to spotlight another one this week! 🔥
Shoutout to Basil Chatha and the SF Poker Club ♦️♣️. Like many builders, Basil started the club because it was the kind of community he wanted to join.
Here is what Basil had to say on why they started —
“Poker is intimidating: complicated rules, quick mental math, and an intense atmosphere…but it’s also a great way to make a close group of great friends, have fun, and pick up a new hobby!
We started SF Poker Club by hosting ‘Poker Night (for Dummies)’ because we recently moved to the city and wanted to meet cool people without going to transactional “networking events.” We’re also new to Poker and wanted to learn how to play in a judgment-free zone - hence, “for Dummies.”
Our next event is on October 9 for SFTechWeek and we’d love to see you there!”
Wanna meet cool people? Check out their next poker night on October 9th! 🎉
04/ Our upcoming east coast roadshow✈️🚄
We're stoked to hit the road for our first Build IRL road trip! 🚗💨
We've been focused in the SF Bay Area 🌉 — it’s the place we live, work, and deeply love. But there's inspiring work happening all over the country. 🌟
We'll be in NYC and DC this fall to meet fellow builders and social connectors:
🗽 NYC: Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2
🌟 DC: Oct 3, Oct 4
If you're in NYC or DC and building IRL communities, social clubs, social connection, or just wanna connect, hit us up! We’d love to meet IRL. 🙌💬
05/ Upcoming builder events🥳
Want to join in on the fun? Per usual sharing a few great upcoming gatherings hosted by builders in our community:
Here's the info for the next open air setting dance event, thanks for helping spread the word
9.27.24 | SF Adventurers Club 🎉- An Evening of Elegance & Flavor at Bar Iris
Join for an evening of exceptional craft cocktails at Bar Iris, one of San Francisco’s most stylish and innovative cocktail bars.
10.26.24 | Swing at Lakeside Landing by The Doghouse SF
Evening of dance that will start with a swing lesson and followed by a fantastic evening of dancing outdoors with your fellow locals!
That’s all folks! Keep building 🛠️
-Saum & Colt