There’s a familiar playbook in tech: go big, open the gates, capture as many users as possible. And if growth stalls? Open wider.
But not everyone plays by that rule.
In 2014, OnePlus launched its first smartphone to the public, with a catch. You couldn’t buy one unless you were invited. It wasn’t a gimmick. It was a signal. If you were in, you were early.
The result? 1.5 million people signed up for a chance to join.
The invite wasn’t a barrier as some may think. The invite worked as a bond.
From social platforms to investment collectives, we’re seeing a quiet resurgence of this model. Not because exclusivity is trendy, but because intentionality builds stronger communities than scale ever will.
What open systems often overlook
Openness sounds noble and feels democratic. But the most ‘open’ systems often suffer from a distinct problem: disconnection.
We’ve seen this in online communities where bots outnumber humans; on platforms where every new face feels like just another name. In financial cooperatives, the few carry the weight of many. When anyone can enter, no one feels responsible.
Economist Christian Hilber wrote in 2007 about the ‘free rider problem’ when individual participation often swings inversely to group size. As the group swells, sole participation begins to dwindle.
In community finance, the drop isn’t theoretical rather practical. It’s the difference between people who show up and those who don’t.
Access coupled with purpose
An invitation changes everything.
It suggests that someone thought of you. Trusted you to contribute. It creates a sense of belongingness that no marketing campaign can replicate.
Muslim mutual aid groups have practiced this for generations. In West Africa, rotating savings circles known as tontines bring together trusted individuals who pool funds and take turns accessing the money.
In Southeast Asia, ‘gotong-royong’ is a cultural practice of mutual help, where communities mobilize to support each other through labour, resources, and time through a tangible sense of solidarity.
The value is in who is sharing, and why.
Even in digital spaces, we’re learning that healthy communities scale intentionally. Early decentralized autonomous organizations ( DAOs), recognized this.
Built on blockchain, DAOs are member-governed groups that operate without centralized leadership.
They rely on collective voting and transparent rules written into code, analogous to legacy cooperatives, invite-only forums, and curated Telegram groups where one introduction eclipsed 10,000 cold followers.
A silent shift in our circle
When we launched The LifeDAO, our doors were open. We welcomed anyone aligned with our values of mutual care and ethical finance.
Then something unexpected happened: 500+ early members didn't just join for the sake of joining. They stayed, contributed and helped shape a financial safety net for one another.
This prompted us to question: "How do we protect what makes this special?"
So, yes, we have begun transitioning into a gated model. Quietly and carefully. Because this was never meant to be another product. It was always a circle, one that holds better when you know who’s inside it.
Referrals matter, as do in-person events, waitlists, and whispers passed between people who get it.
We’re not the first to do this, and we won’t be the last. But as someone who’s spent years building community-based finance systems, I believe this: open access might get you numbers, but trust is what makes them count.
Quality over quantity
Being selective doesn’t mean being elitist. It means caring enough to curate. Building systems where people don’t just sign up, they show up, especially when it matters.
And for those watching this shift and wondering if the circle will ever widen again, I’ll say this: the best communities are built by those who enter with purpose, not pressure.
So, if you receive an invitation in your inbox or a DM asking, “Hey, have you heard of this?”, don’t ignore.
It might just be your chance to step through the door.
Sharene Lee is the chief operating officer & co-founder at Takadao