The Engagement Rebalance

Why today’s community leaders are ditching the mentality of “more”

In 2020 and 2021, many of us were isolated and - as a result - overly-online.

Personally, I spent a lot of time watching past seasons of Survivor and playing Codenames with friends over Zoom.

But more generally, we craved connection and interaction. And as a result, online communities began to grow.

In fact, Adobe reported an 81% increase in online community engagement during the pandemic. (I talked about that boost more in last month’s issue of Solo Signals.)

The Connection Currency

But things feel different in 2026.

The world opened back up…and now we’ve ended up busier than ever.

• We commute early and leave late from work.

• We can’t finish our unreasonably-long to-do lists.

• We stress about the economy, far more than just the cost of eggs.

And by the end of the day, we feel so depleted that we skip our workouts, reheat our leftovers, and turn on Hacks so we can mentally unwind for the night.

(Or maybe that’s just me.)

So perhaps it’s no surprise to hear that 72% of employees report moderate to very-high stress levels at work (Aflac WorkForces Report) - the highest-reported level in 7 years.

Our audiences are feeling it, too. And in many ways, our biggest “competitor” today is often our audience’s capped energy capacity.

The weight of a thousand competing priorities is making it harder for people to show up in our communities, even if they genuinely want to participate.

And if your programs feel too demanding, too time-intensive, or too scheduled, then you risk losing people - not because they don’t care, but because they’re running on empty.

This issue of Solo Signals explores how community leaders are starting to adapt to that tension.

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Signal #1: Communities are lightening their participation models.

For years, the success of many communities have been measured by this general equation:

More calls + more events + more accountability + more content = a “better” membership with higher retention.

But lately, community leaders are noticing that too much programming can actually lead to more pressure, more fatigue, and lower long-term participation.

So what are they doing differently?

Circle (my top-rated community platform) recently released their 2026 Community Trends Report, which found that 57% of community leaders surveyed say selective participation is shaping their strategy for 2026.

And 21% already plan to revise and reduce their event programming this year.

A few examples of lighter participation features include:

• Quiet periods or intentional rest phases

• Rotating or seasonal programming

• Asynchronous activities

• Skimmable summaries

• Micro-learning

This shift challenges the old belief that “more is more.” And it shows that community leaders are increasingly prioritizing features that make participation feel lighter, manageable, and sustainable.

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Signal #2: Community leaders are rethinking their growth goals.

It feels obvious to say that most businesses want more customers. And I know some people see the internet as a near-infinite pool of customers and opportunities.

But if you’re selling a membership that promotes interpersonal peer connections, then being 1 of 100 members feels a lot different than being 1 of 1,000 members (or more).

Perhaps you’ve heard of Dunbar’s Number - 150 people - which is, “the maximum number of strong personal connections someone can hold in their brain before people start turning into an anonymous crowd.” (Circle)

It’s named for British anthropologist Robin Dunbar, whose research from the early 1990s showed that 150 people is the natural point where communities start to splinter into smaller, more manageable groups.

And it may help explain why 39% of community leaders are actually de-prioritizing member growth this year (Circle’s 2026 Community Trends Report).

Per the survey results, these leaders want to:

• “Provide more hands-on support and/or engagement”

• “Create exclusivity or a sense of status”

• “Ensure that members feel comfortable opening up”

All of those choices reflect a “quality over quantity” approach to growth that I find refreshing.

And they suggest that community leaders are thinking more critically about what makes their communities successful long-term.

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What this means for solo business owners

Today, our members are increasingly selective about how they spend their time, both in and out of our programs.

And one of the kindest, most productive ways we can offer support is - counterintuitively - by giving people permission to do less.

This isn’t just about lightening our features, though I think that’s worth exploring.

Instead, I think a deeper way we can help our customers is through explicit, verbalized acknowledgement that it’s OK to take breaks or work at a slower pace.

Here’s an example:

In my business (Wit & Wire), I’ve run group programs, memberships, and online courses since 2020.

And one of the most appreciated features I’ve ever included is something I call a Work Week, which is a pre-planned week of no new curriculum or assignments.

These Work Weeks offer students a chance to continue working at their own pace, and I’ve had countless students email me over the years to tell me how grateful they were for the chance to catch up after feeling behind.

In fact, they became so popular that the timing and execution of Work Weeks is now a strategy I teach inside Wit & Wire’s programs.

But they wouldn’t be nearly as successful or appreciated if I didn’t communicate about them proactively with my students. Because it’s not just the extra time that’s appreciated; it’s the intentional opportunity to choose what they do that week that makes the difference.

That same mentality shaped how I built Solo Studio, a new membership for solo business owners I just launched last month.

When I was designing the membership, I kept coming back to conversations I’d had with Wit & Wire alumni who felt stuck deciding what to do next:

• “Should I sell a new course?” (If yes, which?)

• “Should I build my audience?” (If yes, what channel should I use? And should I try paid ads?)

• “Should I throw out everything I’ve done and start from scratch???” (Probably not! Resist!!)

I noticed that their questions were rarely simple requests for step-by-step instructions.

Instead, these solo business owners were asking me about what to focus on, not just how to do something.

So instead of building a huge content library or requiring 3x/week calls, I decided to build Solo Studio around the idea that we’d work on one focused project together each month. It wouldn’t be an intensive effort with an unrealistic timeline; instead, we’d focus on meaningful refinements and focused improvements that could compound and build our businesses over time.

I also personally know how isolating it can feel to run your own business. So I wanted to create opportunities for peers to connect with and learn from each other, too.

But admittedly, I was nervous about the launch. I’d hedged my bet that solo business owners were interested in “slow and steady,” but I worried it was too feature-light, and that people would want more stuff in order to buy and justify my price point.

In the end, I sold out all 20 spots for the pilot program. And while this is just the start, and I’m sure it will evolve over time, it supports the theme we’ve been exploring all along:

The strongest communities moving forward will prioritize progress over constant participation.

(If interested, you can join the waitlist for my new membership for solo business owners here: Solo Studio)

Reflection questions

If you run a membership, group program, or community - or are thinking about adding one this year - then here are a few optional questions you might ask yourself:

1. How are your best buyers engaging with your program? (What features are they using…and what are they skipping?)

2. What do you tell buyers when they feel behind? Have you ever explicitly given them permission to take a break or work at a slower pace?

3. Your program helps buyers do the work to reach their goal. But how might you help them actually find the energy and time on their calendar to make progress?
   

Want to build your own community? 👥

I test a lot of online business platforms. Circle has been my #1 choice for the best community platform for solo business owners for 5+ years, and I’ve personally been a paid customer since they launched.

My students regularly tell me that they love their experience inside the Wit & Wire community, and I appreciate that Circle regularly releases new features to stay up-to-date with modern creators’ needs.

I whole-heartedly recommend their platform, and I’m grateful to Circle for partnering with me on this issue of Solo Signals.

If you’re thinking about building your own community, you can start a free trial at witandwire.com/circle (partner link).

Disclosure: This issue contains affiliate links.

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