Teen Titans: Building Community Forums for SAAS Platform Users in High School

The release of MoveableType marked a significant leap forward in internet content management. Eventually, its creators, SixApart, sought to enter the software-as-a-service arena with a hosted platform, promising to streamline website creation even further.

I was already a dedicated MoveableType user, so when I heard about hosted solutions like TypePad, built on MoveableType by the same creators, I was intrigued. Knowing it would likely incorporate many of the features I already loved without the hassle of maintenance was appealing.

From the first mention of the service, I anticipated its widespread adoption across the Internet. This sparked ideas of how I could leverage it to offer services to others and promote my own projects.

I was quick to sign up for the earliest private version of the software, and almost immediately, I noticed a glaring gap the developers hadn’t addressed: there was no community forum for early adopters to connect and share their experiences. It was clear that users needed a space to exchange tips and tricks, showcase how they were using the platform, and discuss challenges as they navigated the new software. This was a need the company hadn’t yet realized—and I saw a golden opportunity.

I knew I could step in and create something valuable—a hub where users could come together, learn from each other, and build a sense of community around the platform. Not only would this fill a crucial gap, but it would also give me an additional platform to promote my own related projects and build a network.

I had already dabbled with PHPBB, a wildly popular forum software known for its flexibility and vast range of plugins and extensions. I also had some solid experience working with PHP from my previous tinkering with MovableType and other platforms. So, I decided to put my skills to work and build the forum that would become the heartbeat of the community the developers had overlooked.

Blogging was really starting to take off, gaining traction among a wide audience. Already, I’d sketched out plans to channel the momentum of my previous success with XPreme Magazine into a new digital magazine venture, Blogging! Magazine. I knew that building a strong community forum for a blogging platform like TypePad would create an ideal space for promotion—whether through banner ads or other marketing angles.

With TypePad expanding and my own interest in a place to both promote my products and voice constructive feedback, I launched TypePadUsers. This platform wasn’t just a community forum—it was a way to connect bloggers, amplify their voices, and push for the improvements we all wanted to see from the developers.

The response was instant and overwhelming. Over 500 users joined in the first month alone, with blogs across the TypePad platform linking back to us. Despite the obvious overlap with TypePad’s brand, MoveableType (the company behind TypePad) didn’t reach out to acknowledge the site, either to discuss the name or support the initiative. They acted as if it simply didn’t exist. But as the site grew in influence and provided a forum for real conversations, feature requests, and constructive critique, its influence only expanded.

Soon after, I began using the platform to share and market my own blogging-related products and services. But that’s another story entirely.

Sometimes, success is about thinking ten steps ahead. In this case, I saw the potential to market my own products and services while providing an underserved community with a place to connect, learn, and grow. By anticipating both their needs and my own, I created a network that not only enhanced my reach but also gave me direct influence over the product.