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I like this essay and it sounds like a good development model for certain companies and organizations. However, all my favorite communities were initially existed because “what” or “who” that can be summed up in one word (“Paul Graham” in this forum’s case.) That what or who is not only shorthand for a rallying collection of ideas, goals and preferences. It gives the community something to regularly do or react to together. As the communities grow, they start to become defined by themselves, i.e. by the value of the network and association with the accomplishments of many community members. At a point, asking “why” becomes a useful way to delineate and communicate the accidental collection of principles from the original who/what.