There used to be a irc channel that was the node.js "mad science" channel. We never advertised or promoted it, but whenever I met someone who was doing really cool stuff in javascript, I would invite them to it. ssb grew out of that IRC channel! (also, dat and webtorrent). But I remember once someone told me, they joined the channel, but because they perceived the other people there to be too "elite", they were shy about actually saying anything. So we created a few other channels that were focused more specifically - and then those channels became thriving little communities. We actually need groups so that people can have a place to feel like they are the first ones in the club.

So, paradoxally I think the way to scale scuttlebutt as a whole is to have ways to enable small groups.