The Mosaic Method™: A New Way to Design Communities
A mosaic is a collection of distinct but interconnected pieces, forming a greater whole. So is a community.
I’ve spent over a decade building and scaling communities — from delivering 100s of CEO programs from the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) to VC-backed founder networks and startup / investor groups. One pattern is constant: most communities focus on a few pieces (events, engagement channels, 1:1 matching) and miss the bigger picture. When you don’t design for the whole human journey, eventually members drift.
The M.O.S.A.I.C. Method™ is an comprehensive approach to assessing and redesigning member organizations. It’s rooted in systems thinking (Donella Meadows), the sociology of share identities (Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone), and the principals of intentional convening (Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering).
Layered on top are hard-won (and hard-lost) lessons from member organizations I’ve led spanning 300-person trade associations, 4,400 global CEOs, and 80,000 AI enthusiasts.
Out of this work emerged six foundational tiles, the essential building blocks of strong, resilient communities.
M.O.S.A.I.C. is built on six foundational tiles:
Member Experience → the member’s journey
Ownership → how ownership of the community is shared
Shared Rituals → the reliable and recognizable moments
Affinity → bonds that build the belonging
Intelligence → what you gather from the members
Culture → the vibe, values, and unwritten rules
Strong communities don’t happen by chance. They’re designed, tile by tile, with intention.
Through this lens, you’ll see which pieces are thriving, which are fragile, and where your next investment matters most.
Over the next six posts, I’ll unpack each tile: what it means, why it matters, and how you can use it as a diagnostic lens. Practical, human, and designed for scale.
