There are several communities in the world of software development. They can be open to the general public or even closed within a company. They may cover a variety of topics, focus on a specific technology, or on technologies developed or used by a company.

Regardless of the theme or scope, one fundamental characteristic is necessary for a community work: a community should not be imposed. All involvement must be organic, with motivation and a sense of belonging as the main driving forces.

I have participated in several communities, whether within companies I worked for or open communities. My greatest experience has been with DevParaná, where I have been active since 2016. It began in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil, at the end of 2015 with monthly meetups. Over time, initiatives to create new groups on specific topics started to emerge from the participants themselves, eventually transforming DevParaná into a hub of groups coordinated by different people on various topics. The frequency also increased, reaching ten meetups in September 2019.

At that point, the community served as support for organizers when needed, handling promotion, providing giveaways, finding speakers and venues, or even covering coffee break expenses. During the pandemic, we provided a tool to help with the streaming of online meetups. We also maintained a Slack workspace that centralized discussions and served as a motivator, offering space for anyone who wanted to contribute.

Additionally, we organized events aimed at energizing and uniting the entire community, such as the DevParaná Conference, which has had eight editions, and DevParaná na Estrada, a traveling event that has visited more than 15 cities in Paraná and Paraguay. These events significantly boosted the growth of individual groups.

The sense of belonging was evident, whether through laptops covered with community stickers or people showing up to work wearing DevParaná T-shirts.

All of this grew organically, without a president or structured board. Everyone participated and contributed without financial incentives, and they could leave whenever they wanted and return whenever they could, without restrictions or judgment. This organic approach was crucial for us to celebrate 10 years of the community in 2025.

The pandemic was tough on the community, drastically reducing the frequency of meetups. However, it wasn't enough to extinguish the motivation of those who believed in it. In fact, the 2024 DevParaná Conference had its largest audience to date (600+ participants), and we hope to organize an even bigger event in 2025 to celebrate 10 years of history.

In upcoming texts, I want to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained throughout this journey and how it can help your community—or even your company's internal developer community.