S2E7: Bilyana Freye on How Context Elevates Virtual Conversations and Orbiit’s Community Activation https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/reliantsproject/s2e7-bilyana-freye-on-how-context-elevates-virtual-conversations-and-orbiits-community-activation.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBilyana is the co-founder and CEO of Orbiit. Their service matches people within a network for 1-to-1 conversations on a specific topic. They help community managers systematically activate their communities through these types of conversations. The companies that use their service appreciate the value of increasing the interconnectivity within a network.In this episode we talk about: How our inboxes are flooded with ‘one directional’ content invitations How community managers spend a lot of time curating content, but not connecting members to each other Some of the unhelpful presumptions that community managers make about their members What we think of in person vs virtual interactions and where zoom fatigue creeps in How important context is to the quality of a conversation Whether you should chaperone the first meeting for any introductions you make SHOW NOTES Co-founding Hoppin, the company that pivoted to become Orbiit [2:35] Never waste a good crisis [3:38] Value of peer to peer mentorship [4:32] Launching virtual coffee chats to discuss timely, relevant topics during COVID [6:34] The contrast of one-directional vs. two-directional interactions [7:12] Context missing from chat-roulette conversations [8:01] The archetype of Orbiit’s user as ‘business adventurers’ [9:05] What does an end-to-end experience feel like? [9:42] Data and insights for the community manager [11:59] Community managers and their communities that use the platform [13:02] Assumptions community managers make about who this service is relevant for [14:48] Challenges to activating a community [16:34] The role that the topic plays in bringing people together for conversations [17:47] How to balance the context and serendipity in conversation [18:45] The power of a well-curated virtual relationship [20:26] How impersonal, virtual group events feed Zoom fatigue [21:23] Painting a picture of what the new normal might look like [23:04] Where does activating the network fits in and challenges around prioritising it [24:11] Data accuracy challenges for community managers [26:50] How creating Orbiit has impacted how she introduces people in her network [27:55] Life changing introductions book idea [29:16] A pivitol introduction [29:35] SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect to Bilyana Freye: LinkedIn | TwitterConnect to Orbiit: website Lunchclub Delian Asparouhov Founders Fund