[Webinar] Beyond build vs. buy: The smart path to community platform success

Making the build vs. buy decision

Both organizations faced the critical decision of whether to build their own community platform or purchase an existing solution. For Pavilion, attempting to build their own platform proved challenging – they found themselves struggling to keep up with needed features while trying to grow their business. “We needed something we could build into what we wanted,” explained Andrews. “Hivebrite provided the building blocks that allowed us to create exactly what we needed.”

Neurovations chose Hivebrite for its speed of deployment and flexibility. With an aggressive timeline for launching their NIH-funded research community, they needed proven modules they could quickly assemble and customize. “We needed to focus on instructional design and member onboarding rather than building basic functionality from scratch,” noted Coverstone.

Customization through strategic integration

Both organizations have extensively customized Hivebrite through integrations while maintaining efficient operations. Pavilion built a bi-directional sync with Salesforce and implemented machine learning models to analyze engagement patterns. This allows them to better understand how their 10,000+ members interact with different types of content and features.

Neurovations repurposed existing modules in creative ways to support their research community’s unique needs. “We’ve essentially broken Hivebrite apart and rebuilt it to match our requirements while maintaining the core functionality,” explained Coverstone. This approach allowed them to move quickly while still delivering a tailored experience.

Empowering local community leaders

A key success factor has been empowering community members to take ownership of local groups and activities. Pavilion has over 100 group administrators who manage local chapters, plan events, and engage their sub-communities. “The bigger we get as a macro community, the more we need to excel at building small, meaningful pockets of membership,” said Andrews.

Similarly, Neurovations provides tools and support to help existing micro-communities thrive within their broader network. This distributed approach helps create champions who understand the platform’s value and encourage adoption among their peers.

Measuring success through data and dialogue

While both organizations leverage analytics to track engagement metrics, they emphasize the importance of direct member conversations. “There’s a difference between data and meaning,” noted Coverstone. Regular check-ins with members help identify pain points and opportunities that might not show up in usage statistics.

Pavilion combines quantitative analysis with qualitative feedback through regular member surveys and conversations. This balanced approach helps them understand not just what members are doing, but why – leading to more informed decisions about platform customization and feature development.

Key lessons for community leaders

The experiences of these organizations highlight several important considerations for community leaders:

1. Start with core functionality and expand strategically based on member needs
2. Leverage integrations to connect community data with other essential business systems
3. Empower members to take ownership of sub-communities and local engagement
4. Combine usage analytics with direct member feedback to guide platform evolution
5. Focus on solving real member problems rather than adding features for their own sake

As both leaders emphasized, building a successful community platform requires ongoing adaptation. “It’s a living, breathing thing that you keep adding to,” explained Andrews. “You need to stay tuned in to what your community values and be ready to evolve as their needs change.”