Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition

In this insightful debut, Franke, cofounder of entrepreneur networking community Rising Tide Society, proposes a path for developing deeper personal connections by focusing on community. Drawing from her own personal and professional experiences, Franke examines the reasons people may feel isolated and lonely despite being more socially connected than ever thanks to social media. She argues modern technological, economic, and social advances have contributed to an overall competitive mindset, and warns that obsessively comparing oneself with others can become an “ugly monster that grows bigger.” Acknowledging that her successful photography business “was propelled by the success of others,” Franke extols the value of collaboration and emphasizes prioritizing people over opportunities. She stresses that healthy competition and collaboration can coexist, and shares examples of businesses including Airbnb and Chewy that encourage productive competition among employees while at the same time cultivating a sense of belonging and a culture of valuing others. While Franke’s advice might seem fairly obvious, her enthusiastic, joyful tone makes it all go down easily. This accessible manifesto will resonate particularly with entrepreneurs looking to create a healthy working community. [em](Aug.) [/em]