As a Fractional CTO, I spend time on platforms like CoFoundersLab, FoundersList, and other founder communities, but I don't always participate actively. Sometimes I just observe, read, and learn from what others are sharing.
Lurking gets a bad rap, but I think it's an underrated way to learn about the early-stage ecosystem. You can absorb a lot of knowledge and insights without the pressure of having to contribute immediately. This helps me understand what founders really need from technical partners.
Learn from Others
Founder platforms are full of people sharing their experiences, both successes and failures. Lurking lets you absorb these lessons without the pressure of having to contribute immediately.
Understand the Landscape
You get to see what problems people are trying to solve, what skills they're looking for, and what the current trends are in early-stage building. It's like having a window into the startup ecosystem.
Find Your Voice
By observing how others communicate their ideas and needs, you learn how to better express your own. You start to understand what resonates and what doesn't.
Discover Opportunities
Sometimes the best opportunities come from seeing what others are struggling with. Lurking helps you identify gaps, problems, and potential collaborations that you might not have noticed otherwise.
The Fractional CTO Advantage from Lurking
As a Fractional CTO, the more I lurk, the better I become at understanding what founders really need. I understand the culture, the language, and what adds value to the community.
Lurking isn't about being passive, it's about being thoughtful. It's about learning the landscape before you try to navigate it, which helps me provide better technical guidance to founders.
A Personal Note
I used to feel guilty about lurking, like I should be contributing more actively. Now I think that thoughtful observation is a form of contribution, it helps you understand the community better.
The best contributions I've made to founder communities came after periods of careful observation. When I did participate, I was able to offer more relevant and valuable insights because I understood the context.
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