Every founder eventually hears the advice to build a community. Jatin Chaudhary has been doing exactly that for more than a decade, long before it became a buzzword.
Jatin is a co-founder of eChai Ventures, one of the oldest entrepreneur communities in India, which began with meetups in Ahmedabad and now runs events across cities and countries. He joined The Builders Club Startup Founders Podcast to share what he has learned about building and sustaining a startup community.
How do you build a startup community that lasts? Jatin Chaudhary’s core thesis
Jatin keeps his definition of community loose, because he believes it keeps changing. What matters to him is the experience: people should leave an event feeling it was worth their time, and some of them will stay connected for years.
His practical formula is to keep events small and regular, centralise the operational work, rely on local volunteers to moderate, and collaborate with similar groups rather than treat them as rivals.
- Value comes first. Create something people find worthwhile before you think about scale or revenue.
- Small events work best. Jatin has found that gatherings of around 20 to 25 people produce the best engagement and feedback.
- Centralise the work. Most of the operating work sits at the centre, so a city only needs one person to moderate.
- Collaborate, do not compete. The same people attend many communities, so co-hosting helps everyone.
How did eChai Ventures start and grow?
Jatin studied engineering in Ahmedabad and worked in sales roles, including enterprise IT sales in Gujarat. He felt there was a need to bring together people like himself, and the first idea was to help students with exposure to the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The format that stuck was the simple meetup, where people share their journeys and discuss how they can help each other. Over the years it grew from Ahmedabad to other cities in India and then abroad, with Singapore an early international step around 2014. The eChai Ventures network is a good example of a meetup-led community.
- Early events were organised through personal networks and Facebook events.
- Former members who moved cities or countries started new chapters.
- The conversation stays focused on sharing your journey and how you can help others.
How does eChai run events across so many cities?
Jatin described a largely centralised model. Speakers, marketing and the operating playbook are handled centrally, and each city needs mainly one person who is willing to moderate the meetup.
He said this efficiency is what lets the team organise events in new places, including cities where nobody has a large local presence. Many of those moderators are volunteers who take a leap of faith on the idea.
- Find a local person interested in moderating.
- Handle speakers, venue partners and promotion centrally.
- Run a repeatable event format.
- Improve the playbook with every event.
How do you measure success and keep a community alive?
Jatin said he does not obsess over numbers. He pointed instead to whether the community keeps growing and whether members are growing along with it, and he described the physical event as difficult work that needs consistency.
On keeping a community from going quiet, his view is to start with a clear purpose and a valuable first activity, whether that is a group, a physical meetup or an online session, and to keep showing up.
- Small events of 20 to 25 people give better feedback and engagement.
- Consistent rituals matter more than any one big gathering.
- Build goodwill ambassadors who talk about the community.
How can a startup community make money?
Jatin said there is no shame in having a business model, as long as there is real value. He mentioned sponsors and affiliates as options, and agreed that subscriptions can work when members get tangible value.
He also observed that many startup communities eventually evolve toward models such as running a fund or organising conferences.
How do you start a community from scratch?
Jatin’s advice to a first-time organiser was to create a larger purpose that people can believe in, then reach out personally to people who share it. If your purpose is clear and public, he said, like-minded people are likely to join.
He also suggested leaning on your own network and hosting popular guests to keep conversations going between bigger milestones.
- Pick a niche where you can offer authentic knowledge.
- Start with the people you already know.
- Invite respected speakers to keep activity continuous.
Is the competition between communities a threat?
Jatin said the same founders often attend several communities, because they are looking for social experiences, and every community has its own vibe. He sees that as a reason to get better at the experience rather than worry about rivals.
eChai almost never runs an event alone. Every event has a co-host, such as a co-working space or a similar community, and Jatin said that maturity to work together makes things easier. He also advised making conscious effort to reach audiences you do not naturally attract, through partnerships.
Further reading and sources
Frequently asked questions
How big should startup community events be?
Jatin Chaudhary has found that smaller events of roughly 20 to 25 people tend to give the best engagement and the best feedback. Large conferences can work, but small, regular meetups make it easier for people to connect and for organisers to learn what members want.
How can I keep my online community from going inactive?
Start with a clear purpose and make sure the core activity is valuable to members. Stay consistent with regular rituals, whether those are meetups or online sessions, and invite guests and volunteers so the activity does not depend only on you.
Can a startup community make money?
Yes. Jatin said there is nothing wrong with a business model as long as the community creates real value. Sponsorships, affiliates and paid memberships were mentioned, and some communities later move into funds or conferences.
Conclusion
Jatin Chaudhary’s story shows that a community grows from consistent value, not clever tools. Small, regular events, a central operating playbook and a spirit of collaboration let eChai Ventures reach many cities from a single starting point.
If you are building a community, decide the purpose, host your first small gathering and keep a steady rhythm. The scale will follow the value.
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