On whether you should start a community membership

I launched my first community for virtual assistants in 2020 with zero experience and no idea what I was getting into. I figured it out as I went. Looking back, I'm grateful for my ignorance. If I had known how much work it would actually take, I might have talked myself out of it.

Here is what I've learned: building a community membership is deeply meaningful work. It is also relentless. It demands your presence, clear structure and real intention. And if you're thinking it will be passive income? Let me stop you there. I have written about community memberships not being a passive income source before, and Mike Morrison from Membership Geeks nails it when he says that memberships are not passive income sources,  they are leveraged income. Your effort multiplies in impact, but you still have to show up consistently.

Right now, more creators and entrepreneurs are eyeing memberships as their next move. Maybe that's you. If it is, the smartest thing you can do is get brutally clear on what you are building and why you are building it before you launch. When a membership aligns with your strengths and truly serves your people, it can be remarkable. When it is built without intention? It becomes a weight you carry every single day which can build resentment and lead to burn out. Trust me, I have first hand experience.

To help you make a grounded decision, I will share some questions below that will help you examine your motivation, assess your real capacity, and clarify the experience you want to create. As you go through the questions, be honest with yourself. Remember, even if memberships aren’t the ideal model for you, there are so many other business models that you can explore so no matter the answer, you’ll be fine.
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Why do you want to create a membership?

Everything starts here. What is driving you toward a membership? Is it recurring revenue? Is it because your peers seem to be having successful memberships? A desire to help more people at once? A genuine passion for community? There is no right or wrong answer. What matters is honesty.

When you understand your motivation, you can build a membership that supports your life instead of draining it.
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Is the membership model right for the people you want to serve?

A membership works best when people need continuous support over time. If your audience faces challenges that require ongoing guidance, accountability or community, a membership can be incredibly valuable.

But if the problem has a clear start and end, or people only need you occasionally, a different offer might serve them better like an online course, coaching, consultation or a cohort program.

This is where market research matters. A good indicator? Check if your ideal members are already paying for memberships similar to what you want to create. If they are, the market is validated. If they are not, pause and ask why.

This question protects you from building something people do not actually want. It brings to mind the Y Combinator slogan "Make something people want."
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What transformation will your members experience?

Imagine someone joins today and stays for twelve months. What changes in their life? What problem gets solved? What outcome becomes real?If you can name the shift clearly, you can design a membership that keeps people engaged. They will be saying, before this membership, I was struggling with X and now I can confidently do X.

This clarity also shapes your membership sales page. People need to envision how their lives will change when they become members. Show them that vision and they will be far more likely to commit.
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Who is this membership for and who is it not for?

One of the biggest mistakes membership creators make is trying to help everyone. A strong membership is specific. It calls the right people in and confidently directs the wrong people away.

When you know who you exist for, your content, events and conversations become sharper and more meaningful.

Remember that you could always expand your target market later on, but start specific. 
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Do you enjoy the topic you want to build your membership around?

You will create content for months and years. You will answer questions, host calls and guide conversations around the same topic again and again. You might find yourself answering the same questions repeatedly as new members join.

You need to enjoy the topic. You need to be curious about it. You need to be willing to deepen your expertise.

If the topic energizes you, your membership will feel alive. If it drains you, you will soon lose interest and your members will sense. 
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Do you have an audience asking for ongoing support?

You do not need thousands of followers. You only need a small group of people who are already showing interest. Are people asking for more help? Are they coming back with follow up questions? Are they seeking deeper access to you?

Mike Morrison from the Membership Geeks emphasizes that the first step in building a membership is creating content and building an audience. Test whether people will engage with your free content before asking them to pay for your membership. Ideally, grow your email list to around 300 people.

That is audience validation. It tells you your idea has legs.
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Are you ready to commit to showing up consistently?

Memberships are a retention business. The sale is only the beginning and the hard work of providing value follows after the sale. What happens after the sale is what keeps your members.

This means showing up regularly. It means delivering value month after month. It means caring about the experience your members have from the moment they join to the moment they reach success.

If you are willing to be present, a membership can grow into something powerful.
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Can you keep this going without burning out?

A membership requires steady energy. You cannot treat it as a side project stacked on top of everything else. You need a rhythm you can sustain. You need boundaries. You need operations and processes that actually support you.

Before you launch, decide how you will protect your energy. If you are an introvert, will three calls per week drain you? Then consider hosting one call weekly or hiring a community manager to lead the others. If constant messages from members expecting quick replies will exhaust you, build systems now. Create templates, set up automations, establish clear response times and communicate boundaries that allow you to support your members.
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What will members do every week inside the community?

This is one of the most important questions that you need to ask yourself before starting a membership. Engaged community memberships have clear rhythms that invite members to show up consistently.

Weekly rituals make a community feel anchored. Think office hours, coworking sessions, weekly prompts or short wins.

If the weekly experience is clear, members know how to find value again and again and it makes it easier for you to plan ahead.
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Do you have a plan for onboarding, engagement, and support?

Map out the member journey from the moment they discover your community to when they join, through their active membership, and all the way to renewal. Have a plan for each touchpoint to ensure your members feel supported at every stage. How will members get their first win? How will they know where to start? How will you respond when they get stuck?

A thoughtful structure helps people succeed. When members succeed, they stay.
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Do you understand the numbers that drive a healthy membership?

Growth comes from two places. New members and retained members. You need both.

Ask yourself.
How long do members need to stay for this to be profitable?
What will you do when someone is thinking of leaving?
How will you support people at every stage?

These questions help you build a membership that is financially sustainable, something that I failed to consider when I started my community in 2020.
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Does your membership make sense within your larger business?

Your membership is either your main offer, your ongoing support or a place people land after working with you. You need to know where it fits so you can design it with intention.

When your membership supports your bigger vision, it becomes a powerful part of your ecosystem.
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Do you enjoy interacting with people online?

Running a membership requires constant interaction with people. There will be conversations, questions, emotions and moments that require your presence.

If you love leading, supporting and walking alongside people, this model will feel natural. If you prefer working quietly behind the scenes, it may feel heavy. That does not mean you should not consider a membership. It just means that you may need to hire support for community management.

Interestingly, many community builders that I have met are introverts (like me). The misconception is that introverts dislike interacting with people. The truth is that introverts enjoy connection but need regular time to recharge. If you are an introvert building a community, build in boundaries and systems that allow you to recharge as often as you need.
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Are you comfortable growing slowly?

Memberships grow through trust and word of mouth. They rarely explode overnight, unless you were already a celebrity or influencer with a large following. They build month after month as you create wins for your members. Ask yourself if you are patient enough to build something that compounds over time.

This is actually an advantage. With fewer members at the start, you can serve them exceptionally well and create a high-touch, high-value experience they will rave about. You also have time to build the foundation for growth by establishing systems and processes that will scale with you. Slow growth is a gift.
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Are you building this because you want to or because you feel you should?

Many creators feel pressure to create a membership because it looks like the next step. Everyone seems to be building a membership right now. But your business should support your life and your energy, not the other way around.

A membership is a powerful model when it is aligned with who you are and how you want to work. When it is not, it becomes a burden you carry every day.

Choose the path that feels true to how you want to work and how you want to serve.

I closed my own community in 2024 because it no longer aligned with my lifestyle. I wanted to travel and hike without being tethered to my screen. I realized I could serve my people better in a different way, and that was okay.
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The clarity you need before you begin

Before you start a membership, you deserve to know exactly what you are building and why. You deserve a structure that supports your wellbeing and a model that grows with you. Remember, memberships are a long term game. These questions are here to guide you into creating a membership that feels grounded, sustainable and life giving.

If you want help thinking through these questions one on one, you can reach out to me at jolleenopula.com/contact and I’ll be happy to support you.