12 Best Slack Communities for Every Professional

If your company isn’t using Slack, chances are, the company next door is. In February, the team communication tool had 500,000-plus daily users—making it the fastest-growing business app ever.

But Slack isn’t just dominating the cubicle. Recently, people have been using the platform to found and maintain “digital communities:” forums for collaborating and connecting with like-minded professionals.

There are tons of benefits to joining these virtual support networks. First, you can solicit advice from people who are intimately familiar with your job, field, or even geographic location. Second, you can meet potential partners, team members, and mentors. Third, you can lessen the feelings of isolation that many entrepreneurs, freelancers, side hustlers, and solo workers experience. Fourth, you can discover and share valuable resources.

So, the real question isn’t, “Should I join a Slack community?” It’s, “Which Slack communities should I join?”

1. If you’re a startup founder…

You should join #Startup. More than 2,100 founders around the globe are on #Startup, making it a truly international group. The discussion types range from Q&As and AMAs (“Ask Me Anything”) to traditional conversations. You can solicit feedback on your product, recruit team members, get advice, and more.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: Yes

 

2. If you’re a creative person…

You should join #Launch. This community is actually much older than Slack itself and has just migrated to the platform. #Launch was founded in 2006 by “teenagers messing around online, dabbling with web design and development.” Since then, its members have gone on to become YC founders, owners of VC funded companies, and Thiel Fellows.

You can use #Launch to talk design, programming, sales, entrepreneurship, and more.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

3. If you’re a team leader…

You should join #People. HR professionals, people operations specialists, organizational psychologists, and managers use #People to, in the organization’s words, “find advice, inspiration, events, get feedback on ideas, take part in Q&A’s and AMAs, and get involved in discussions.”

There are different sub-groups for compensation, hiring, recruitment, benefits and perks, and training and coaching, so no matter what you’re looking for, you’ve got a good chance of finding it.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

4. If you’re a startups investor…

You should join VC Club. It’s composed of venture capitalists, angels, startup founders, and advisors. The main topics are fundraising, market trends and opportunities, investment strategy, and deals.

Even if you’re not looking to put money into any companies at the moment, it’s always smart to keep up with what’s going on in the funding world.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

5. If you’re a remote worker…

You should join Workfrom. Designed for anyone who doesn’t work at a traditional office—including digital nomads, freelancers, business travelers, and students—this community comes with a lot of perks.

A free membership comes with recommendations for freelancer-friendly work spaces, along with info about their WiFi speeds and real-time seating capacity. For $5 a month, you get access to the chat room, discounts on goods and services, and exclusive features.

Application process: No

Membership fee: Yes

 

6. If you’re a marketer…

You should join #CreativeTribes. There are currently over 300 marketers, entrepreneurs and other creatives in the group, and their main focus is growing their businesses or reach.

CreativeTribes definitely has a communal atmosphere. Beyond sharing techniques, resources, and experiences with each other, members are also looking to “build their tribes.” If you’re looking for team members or trying to expand your following, this is a great Slack community to join.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: Yes

 

7. If you’re a software programmer…

You should join #CodeNewbie. This Slack chat is actually an extension of CodeNewbie’s thriving online community and gives you the opportunity to chat with other beginning developers, get help on tough problems, discuss software updates and news, and just hang out with people who are as obsessed with coding as you.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

8. If you’re a freelancer…

You should join #Freelance. Being your own boss can be lonely—plus, it’s hard to find others who understand the unique challenges and rewards of freelancing. This organization will give you your own dose of water-cooler talk.

However, even if you’re completely uninterested in socializing with other contractors, #Freelance has a lot to offer. Discover how others have found clients, ask for advice, get leads, pair up with other freelancers, and trade services.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: Yes

 

9. If you’re a UX designer or researcher…

You should join Designer Hangout. It’s not for amateurs, however: The “About” page warns wannabe members that if you don’t know what UX is, you’re probably in the wrong place. In addition, every member is pre-vetted.

The good thing about all these barriers-to-entry? They ensure high-quality discussions, debates, and resources. Plus, spammers and recruiters are virtually nonexistent.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

10. If you’re a bootstrapper…

You should join Bootstrapped Chat. No one ever said bootstrapping was easy. In this forum, you can commiserate about the difficulties, rejoice about the successes, learn from what other people are doing, and see what your fellow bootstrappers are up to.

Application process: No

Membership fee: No

 

11. If you’re an Internet marketer…

You should join Online Geniuses. The great thing about this association is that professionals from every niche are represented: social media marketing, SEO, PPC (pay-per-click), CRO (conversion rate optimization), and so on. That means no matter what online marketing question you have, there are members uniquely qualified to answer it.

The number of companies represented is also impressive. Online Geniuses come from Facebook, GrubHub, Best Buy, Amazon, Macy’s, and Google, just to name a few.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

 

12. If you’re a maker…

You should join Maker Hunt. This community is populated by passionate and driven people responsible for some of the most popular products of the last couple years.

Past AMA guests have included Anthony Thomas, founder of StickerMule, Michael Seibel, a Y-Combinator partner, and Dylan La Com, product manager of Product Hunt.

Application process: Yes

Membership fee: No

Are there any Slack groups we missed that you love? Tell us in the comments below.