AdrianCarr.com ^1.0

Since starting the Knoxville Agile Practitioner's Group, I've received a couple inquiries about how to start a user group, and I've seen others ask this question on different message boards. Over time, I wrote down some things that worked for me, and thought I'd share them here in the hopes that they help someone else.
*Note: This is what seems to have worked for me. You will likely have to do things slightly differently based on your location and situation. You'll probably have better ideas than mine too, and I hope you share them.

1. Create a website. This one is kinda obvious, and really is a must-have. You can use something as simple as Blogger, or a fancy custom site. It's a great way to get the word out, and makes your group seem more legitimate.
2. Keep it simple. When I started, I didn't know what it was going to take. Some people suggested starting a committee, others said to start a non-profit. Both of those sounded like a hassle. I decided to do the simplest thing that could possibly work, so I didn't do either one, and found that I didn't need them. Just like life and software, simple is better and takes less effort and energy to maintain. If you have a need to make things more complicated later, you can always do that. As a great product owner friend once said: "It's easier to extend simplicity than to change complexity.
   One reason that you may want to get more organized or start a non-profit is if you want to host a conference, or if you end up needing a bank account because sponsors give you money directly. I would not want group money in an account that was only in my name.
3. Get the word out. Somehow, you have to let people know that you have started the group. In the case of Agile Knoxville, I realized the need for a user group during a certified Scrum Master class that was being taught locally. So, I decided right then to start the group, and passed around a sheet of paper for people to put their email address on if they wanted me to let them know about the first meeting. I emailed them not long after to announce the first meeting, and asked them to pass on the information to anyone else that they thought may be interested. (I think it's a good idea to always ask people to pass the meeting announcement on to others.)
   Another way to get the word out about your group is to answer questions or get involved in discussions on different agile message boards, and when you do, add in the group website in the signature line.
4. Put the info on the user group page for the Agile Alliance. If a member of your group is also a member of the Agile Alliance, the Agile Alliance has a program that will help pay expenses for speakers to come and present at your group. I've never used this program because we don't have any Agile Alliance members.
5. Put the info on the Scrum Alliance user group page. There is info there that explains how to do it. There is also information about how to get support from the Scrum Alliance on that page. I've received several emails from people that found us via the Agile Alliance or Scrum Alliance websites.
6. Register for goodies with O'Reilly, InformIT, Apress, JetBrains, etc. All of these companies have user group programs, and they have been very, very generous with us. I often have books just show up at my door from all three of these companies that I never asked for. I can then give these away (after I check them out of course). We also get great discounts (like 35%) on books, and I can order any book they publish for a group member that wants to do a review. Not long ago, I asked for and received a $60 Oracle book for a group member to review. I didn't even have to pay for shipping.
   JetBrains allows me to give away one of their great software products every meeting to a speaker, and one to an audience member. This is $500 of free software that I can give away every meeting.
7. Start a mailing list and require membership for people to join or post messages. If you require people to sign up, you can often find out where they are from. Take a look at the domain in the email address. If they are from a company that is agile, or may have something to contribute, ask them about it. Check where every person comes from and screen them to see if they are potential speakers. Finding speakers month after month is sometimes hard to do, and quite frankly, what takes the most time.
8. Recruit a couple key people to help. Sometimes, you'll need some help. If you find any good volunteers, take them, and see what their strengths are, and figure out how they can contribute.
9. Figure out where to have the meeting. Don't make assumptions. This was a mistake that I made. When I started our group, I talked to the VP of our group, and he assured me that we could meet in the large meeting room we had at our office. Well, then he talked to the people that run our facilities, and they must have talked to our staff lawyers or something, because after this I kept hearing a lot of "what if's", and the next thing I knew, we couldn't meet there, even though we explained to them that there are user groups meeting all around the world without problem. Fortunately for us, we have great meeting space at EdFinancial. If you have a local computer training facility, that may be a good option.
10. See if anyone is teaching a CSM or CSPO class nearby and ask them to spread the word. A couple times per year, Certified Scrum Trainers come to town and teach a class. If you know they are coming to town, contact them and ask them to let their class attendees know about your group. In exchange, you can let your group members know about their class. You can also ask the trainer to come and speak at your meeting. Our best attended meetings have been when experienced trainers are presenting. You will probably have to be flexible with your meeting dates, but it's worth it if you can work your meeting dates to coincide with a great speaker being in town.
11. If you have a college nearby, you can put up flyers advertising your meetings. I've not done this yet, but have always thought it would be a good idea.
12. This may seem obvious, but you should ask your friends and coworkers to help spread the word.
13. Get to know leaders of other user groups; both local, and the next city or state over. Very often, people will recommend speakers that are willing to come and present. I've had lots of help and advice from the leaders of The East Tennessee .NET User Group, and they also let me know when potential speakers from Microsoft are in town.
14. Get to know people from other local companies, and have them let you know when people are coming in town, or when events are happening. You can often coincide your meeting with these events and get a great speaker.
15. Talk to local recruiters and get a good key recruiter to sponsor your group. Our sponsorship is very simple. Recruitwise, a great local recruiting company, brings pizza and drinks to our meetings, and I have them give an update on any interesting news or positions they are trying to fill. It's a great relationship.

It can be hard work to start and run a user group, but I think it's worth it. You will meet some neat people, learn some new skills, make some great relationships, and help other people in their journey.

I hope this helps. Keep in mind, this is what worked for me so far. One problem that we are currently having is that many members have left our area as jobs have dwindled and they have taken positions elsewhere. As a friend pointed out recently, the more user groups and better technical base we have, the more attractive our area will be for potential employers.