Your Job: Start the Fire

by | Jul 21, 2025

Last week,  I met with an owner who has 15 agents in her brokerage and wants to grow to 50 over the next 18 months.

As we discussed strategy, it reminded me of the classic 1000 True Fans essay written by Kevin Kelly.

Kevin’s thesis:

Most entrepreneurs find success by building something a few people are really excited about buying.

According to Kevin, these super fans are the engine for expansion.

While the support of a thousand true fans is a good base, for every single true fan you might have two or three additional regular fans.

Think of concentric circles with true fans at the center and a wider circle of regular fans around them.

If you’re leading an office or a team, you should adopt this paradigm for both recruiting and retention.

Focus your time and effort building a business system that a small number of agents (10 – 20) are super excited about using.

As this core group demonstrates success, concentric circles of new fans will develop who are a lot like those in the core group.

By nature, those who migrate into a concentric circle will be similar to those in the core group.

It’s the most authentic way to build a culture of like-minded individuals.

Once up and running, your primary job is to fuel the central fire being enjoyed by your super fans.

 

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