Before the Product, Build the Trust

How Emberi is building community before launch

Many founders begin with the same assumption: if the product is good enough, customers will follow.

Our research suggests otherwise.

In the context of digital legacy planning, awareness is not the primary barrier. Most adults already recognise that organising their affairs matters. Yet intention does not consistently translate into action. Recent data shows that while 83% of people consider estate planning important, only 31% have taken concrete steps (Trust & Will, 2025).

Trust & Will. (2025). Estate Planning Report. Sample: 10,000 U.S. adults.

This gap reveals something critical: the obstacle is not informational, but emotional.

Digital legacy forces individuals to confront mortality, responsibility, and the potential burden left to loved ones. These are not purely rational considerations. They are deeply psychological. As a result, launching a functional solution without first addressing this emotional resistance would likely result in low engagement.

This insight directly shapes our strategy.

Rather than leading with product features, Gleymmérei focuses first on building trust, relevance, and legitimacy around the topic itself.

Why Should Anyone Care?

People care about digital legacy not because of software, but because of life events.

Moments such as:

becoming a parent,
experiencing the administrative confusion after a death,
approaching retirement,
or recognising the growing complexity of one’s digital footprint.

These emotional triggers create latent demand. Our role is not to manufacture interest, but to surface and structure an existing concern in a way that feels culturally relevant and safe.

In Iceland, where internet penetration stands at 99% (DataReportal, 2024) and the average individual manages 25 to 30 online accounts (Zion Market Research, 2024), the absence of a locally designed digital legacy platform creates a strategic opportunity.

DataReportal. (2024). Digital 2024: Iceland.

Zion Market Research. (2024). Digital Legacy Market Size, Share, Value and Forecast 2034.

However, opportunity alone does not generate adoption. Perceived trust does.

Who Is This Community For?

Referring back to our Business Model Canvas, we identify three primary community segments:

Adults aged 30–60 navigating responsibility, parenthood, or recent loss.
Adults aged 60–90 seeking preservation, clarity, and intergenerational continuity.
Professional intermediaries (estate lawyers, funeral directors, financial advisors) who regularly observe the consequences of unstructured digital estates.

These segments are not defined only by age, but by life stage and emotional readiness.

Community building therefore allows us to engage these groups before asking them to adopt a solution.

How We Build That Community

Our strategy focuses on three pillars:

Narrative legitimacy. Publishing stories and reflections that articulate experiences families already recognise.

Data as reflection. Using statistics not to instruct, but to mirror the gap between intention and action.

Strategic visibility in trusted spaces. Engaging in Icelandic-language platforms, professional networks, and media channels where conversations about family, responsibility, and loss already occur.

This approach allows Gleymmérei to become associated with clarity and responsibility before becoming associated with a product.

Specific Engagement Channels

Our community-building efforts operate across four primary channels, each chosen for strategic alignment with our identified segments:

Facebook Groups. Iceland has 276,000 social media users, representing 73.3% of the total population (DataReportal, 2024). For adults aged 40 to 65, Facebook remains the dominant platform for discussions around family, bereavement, and legacy planning. Our approach: listen for 4–6 weeks to understand vernacular usage before contributing.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator. To reach professional intermediaries, we use LinkedIn to identify estate lawyers, financial advisors, and funeral directors in Iceland. Outreach is framed as inquiry, not promotion: “You see this problem regularly. What do families actually need?” This builds trust while informing product development.

Substack Newsletter (“Minningar”). A monthly Icelandic-language newsletter featuring one story, one actionable insight, and one data point. Target: 1,000 subscribers before product launch. Email opt-in signals high trust and intent.

Icelandic Press (Morgunblaðið, Rás 1). Traditional media maintains high credibility with adults aged 45 to 65 in Iceland. We position ourselves not as a startup seeking coverage, but as thought leaders addressing an under-discussed cultural issue.

DataReportal. (2024). Digital 2024: Iceland. Social media user data.

Strategic Objective

Our goal prior to launch is not early revenue, but early legitimacy.

If successful, our initial users will not discover Gleymmérei at launch. They will already understand the problem we address and trust our perspective on it.

Community building, in this context, is not promotional activity. It is a precondition for adoption.

By reducing emotional resistance and building perceived safety around digital legacy planning, we increase the likelihood that, once launched, the product meets a community that is already receptive.

Measurable Pre-Launch Outcomes

We define community-building success through three indicators:

Newsletter subscribers: 1,000 Icelandic email opt-ins (high-intent signal)
Professional partnerships: 3–5 signed referral agreements with funeral homes or estate lawyers
Waitlist conversion: 500 individuals expressing interest before product availability

These metrics represent trust earned, not attention purchased.

Conclusion

By the time Ember launches, our target users will not ask “what is this?” They will ask “when can I start?”

That shift — from awareness to readiness — is the essence of community-led growth.

References

_DataReportal. (2024). Digital 2024: Iceland. Retrieved from _https://datareportal.com