connection hub

a Nueva school community discord server for connecting, organizing, and sharing. built and launched — reached 29 members in three days. the thesis: as a freshman, joining every discord server was a shortcut to connecting with upperclassmen, and this server provides that shortcut to everyone.

channels included: events/opportunities, homework help, introductions, meetups, 1-1s, off-topic. marketing was done through posting in existing discord servers (robotics, chess club, AI/ML club, math club, ultimate), direct invites with permanent links and convincing messages, and an in-person movie night.

cold start problem was identified: had an atomic network with decent activity from a couple people, but needed a value proposition for others to participate. observation: "lots of ppl are looking at discord and will respond to pings but either dont care or dont have notifications on."

this is a practical instantiation of the broader social network/connections interest. the FPV teens idea was a similar community-building concept but for the broader bay area teen tech scene rather than just Nueva.

timeline

• [2025-08-23] thesis formed — cracked people at nueva don't share projects
• [2025-09-28] improvements planned — more events, structure, seamless people-matching
• [2025-09-29] activity message crafted for re-engagement
• [2025-10-05] marketing optimization — permanent links, convincing messages