Finding your true product champions shouldn’t feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. If you run a SaaS, developer tool, or any product with a community, you’ve probably wondered: “Who’s actually driving the conversations? Who’s helping others, advocating for us, and giving feedback that matters?” This guide’s for you.
I’ll walk you through using Common Room—a tool that collects signals from all over your community—to spot your best advocates. I’ll show you what works, what’s fluff, and how to avoid the common traps.
What’s a “product champion,” anyway?
Let’s keep it simple: a product champion is someone who does at least one of these things, ideally more: - Regularly helps other users (without any prompting) - Shares feedback, good and bad, that actually makes your product better - Spreads the word about your product (not just on your payroll) - Builds stuff with your product, or helps others do the same
They’re not just “active users.” They’re the ones moving the needle, often when nobody’s watching.
Step 1: Get your data flowing into Common Room
Common Room only works if you feed it the right data. Here’s what you need to do:
- Connect all your platforms: Slack, Discord, GitHub, Twitter, forums, email lists—wherever your users talk about (or to) you. The more sources, the fuller the picture.
- Don’t overcomplicate it: Start with your top 2–3 channels. You can always add more later. If you try to boil the ocean, you’ll drown in noise.
- Check the integrations: Not every integration is created equal. Some platforms (like GitHub or Slack) give richer data than others. If you’re missing context (e.g., private Slack channels), know that you might miss key champions.
Pro tip: If you have lurkers or power users who never talk, Common Room can’t spot them. This process is about visible champions. That’s fine—you can’t measure what you can’t see.
Step 2: Define what “champion” means for your product
Don’t just go with Common Room’s default scoring. Every product and community is different. You need a real definition.
- List what matters: Is it answering questions? Shipping plugins? Tweeting about updates? Make a list.
- Assign value: Not every action is equal. Replying to a new user on Discord? Valuable. Spamming memes? Not so much.
- Be honest: Don’t chase vanity metrics (like sheer message count). Focus on actions that help your product or community.
What to ignore: Don’t get hung up on people with the most messages. Sometimes the loudest voices aren’t your real champions—they might just be chatty.
Step 3: Use Common Room’s filters and scoring (but don’t trust them blindly)
Common Room pulls in a ton of data and tries to help by scoring users based on activity. Here’s how to get actual value from it:
How to do it:
- Custom segments: Use filters to segment users by behavior (e.g., “answered >5 questions in the last month,” “created issues on GitHub,” “mentioned us on Twitter”).
- Activity scoring: Tweak the weights. If “posting tutorials” matters more than “saying thanks,” reflect that.
- Tags and notes: Add manual tags for things Common Room can’t see (like someone who gave a killer talk at your event).
What works well:
- Surface-level champions: You’ll spot your obvious advocates pretty quickly—people who answer questions, post how-tos, or start meaningful threads.
- Cross-channel tracking: It’s good at combining one person’s activity across platforms, so you don’t get fooled by duplicate usernames.
What doesn’t work (or is easy to misuse):
- Blindly trusting “top users”: The default “most active” view will surface people who post a lot, not necessarily those who add value.
- Bots and low-signal activity: You’ll need to weed out people (or bots) who game the system with low-effort posts.
Pro tip: Once you find likely champions, skim their recent activity yourself. It takes five minutes and saves you from embarrassing mistakes.
Step 4: Track engagement over time (not just volume)
True champions don’t just pop in once—they’re consistently helpful over weeks or months. Here’s how to keep tabs:
- Look for patterns: Who’s been steadily active? Who keeps coming back to help or share?
- Set up alerts: Use Common Room’s alerts to get notified when someone hits your “champion” threshold, or starts dropping off.
- Spot burnout: If someone’s engagement suddenly plummets, check in. Champions burn out fast if you ignore or overload them.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over “one-hit wonders.” Someone who posted a killer tutorial six months ago but vanished isn’t a current champion. Appreciate them, but focus on who’s active now.
Step 5: Validate with your own eyes and with your team
Data helps, but you need human judgment. Before you start featuring or rewarding someone as a product champion:
- Check their actual posts: Are they helpful? Respectful? Or just noisy?
- Ask your moderators or community leads: They’ll know who’s genuinely helping and who’s flying under the radar.
- Look for diversity: Don’t just pick champions who look and sound like your “usual suspects.” Real champions come from everywhere.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, reach out directly—a quick DM goes a long way. Ask them about their experience, what motivates them, and what they wish was better.
Step 6: Recognize and activate your champions (but don’t go overboard)
Once you’ve identified your champions, do something with that info. But don’t drown them in swag or “special ambassador” programs unless it actually makes sense.
- Start small: A thank-you goes further than you’d think. Public shoutouts, early access, or just a personal note are great.
- Give them tools: If they want to help more, ask what would make it easier—docs, private channels, sneak peeks, whatever.
- Avoid hero-worship: Don’t put all your eggs in a few baskets. Champions come and go—keep the door open for new ones.
What doesn’t work: Creating a “super secret club” that’s all perks, no real connection. People see through that. Focus on genuine appreciation and support.
Step 7: Revisit your criteria and process regularly
Communities change. So do champions. Every quarter or so:
- Check: Are your champions still active?
- Did anyone new emerge?
- Is your definition of “champion” still relevant?
Update your Common Room filters, scoring, and outreach as you learn. Don’t set it and forget it.
Honest take: What Common Room is good (and not so good) for
What it nails: - Pulls together a ton of signals, fast - Makes it easy to spot visible, helpful users across channels - Useful for surfacing “hidden” champions you’d miss by hand
Where it falls short: - Can’t track silent champions (users who help by example, or in private) - Scoring is only as good as the weights and filters you set - Still requires real human review—don’t automate your way out of judgment
Ignore the hype: No tool can magically “find your champions” without effort. You still need to know your community and pay attention.
Keep it simple, iterate, and trust your gut
Start with the basics. Get your integrations set up, define what matters, and use Common Room’s filters to shortlist candidates. Then check their actual behavior and get feedback from your team.
Don’t overthink it. You’ll get better at spotting champions the more you do it. And remember, the best communities aren’t built on dashboards—they’re built on real relationships. Use the tools to guide you, but keep your eyes open and your process flexible.