🎙️ Based on a podcast between William Renner and Matt Burns In the dynamic world of online community building, Matt Burns has emerged as an insightful voice on the Skool platform created by Sam Ovens and popularized by Alex Hormozi. After leaving his corporate job at Monday(dot)com, just 50 days before this conversation, Burns has quickly positioned himself as someone who deeply understands the psychology behind successful community building and what it takes to monetize effectively in today's digital landscape. I recently sat down with Burns to discuss the culture of Skool, the psychology of status in online communities, and the strategies that actually work for creating thriving digital spaces that generate sustainable income in an increasingly disconnected world. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 When asked about the new affiliate features on Skool, Burns doesn't hesitate to identify the core human motivation at play. "What drives people, right? Let's take it out big picture. What drives humans to do anything? We have health, wealth... what do all those things really chunk up to? Status." This focus on status as the underlying driver of human behavior provides a powerful framework for understanding community dynamics. "You want status with the people you care about, status from your peers," Burns explains. "Health, wealth, money, all of those things chunk up to this." The affiliate program on Skool taps directly into this status economy, creating a system where members can increase their standing by bringing valuable new people into communities they believe in. It's a sophisticated approach that goes beyond simple referral mechanics. "When you think about having a group where somebody that you really respect or look up to or just wanna be closer to... what's a great way to get somebody's attention? You bring in great community members to that community," Burns points out. This creates powerful feedback loops that benefit everyone involved when implemented correctly.