Erica Keswin

How to Find Your Company’s Value with Meetup CEO David Siegel

For a company whose whole technology platform was dedicated to getting people OFF technology, the pandemic forced Meetup to stop and reframe their purpose as facilitating connection in meaningful and safe ways. CEO David Siegel chats with Erica on this week’s episode about how they managed this pivot, how virtual events have opened up global access, the four components of a great Meetup, their future plans to go back to the office by building an immersive community experience, and expanding their employee population by hiring more remote candidates. This week’s episode is an absolute must-listen for leaders who want to incorporate more safe and meaningful connection into the New Year.

Quotes

“We’re the technology that gets people off technology. We’re the technology that facilitates in-person. And getting together in person.”

“We had a real existential crisis as a company. Where we said, ‘But our goal is all about in-person! We’re selling out if we move to online.’ And then we took a step back and we said, ‘Wait a second, no, we’re wrong. Our goal is not about in-person. Our goal is about keeping people connected to each other in meaningful ways. And safe ways.’”

“It’s forced us to do things as a company that we never would have done if not for the pandemic that actually make for much better experiences.”

“Community needs a driver. A meeting needs a driver…The organizer is at the center of everything. The success of a Meetup group is not because the topic is cool, not because they’re in the right location…it’s because the organizer is passionate about what they do.”

“Meetup is all about community and Meetup has always historically been about getting together in person, so we don’t have an office right now…and we are going to go back to office connecting because we’re inherently about both community in-person and online.”

“The reason for an ERG succeeding is because there’s an organizer who’s super passionate about making that ERG successful.”