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If you’ve ever felt lonely in a packed city or overwhelmed by “community” that never leaves the screen, this conversation will reset your compass. Jason Iliffe, co‑founder of CLIQ, joins us to unpack how a simple idea help community founders manage, market, and monetise in one place grew into a fast moving IRL platform spanning London, the US, Australia, Bali, and Dubai. We dig into the quiet mechanics that make groups thrive: brand signals people actually say out loud, clear rituals that bring strangers back next week, and the counterintuitive choice to solve builders’ problems first so users show up for the right reasons.

We get practical about strategy why ideas aren’t unique, why patience beats panic, and how 1% daily gains create “overnight wins.” Jason maps the “third space” crisis, with offices empty, pubs closing, and our feeds filled with brands instead of friends. That’s where CLIQ leans in: run clubs as new dating, DJ in the sauna nights, sober socials, swim clubs, intimate dinners, and cultural groups claiming space on their own terms. He shares the leadership habits that hold it all together: doing the boring jobs, setting standards by example, building resilience through rejection, and treating rest as a strategic input after a health scare forced a reset.

We also talk about building with your partner how complementary skills, honest read outs in investor rooms, and a dual lens on safety create real advantages. Looking ahead, Jason outlines US expansion, a major funding round, and a long term vision for community hubs in global cities: physical homes where connection compounds. If you care about community building, product strategy, or simply finding your people offline, this one’s for you.

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