====== Community Board Observer ====== {{infobox> name = Community Board Observer image = community_members.webp | Photo showing all 4 CBOs from 2022 - 2026 + community members Source = [[https://x.com/its_adbo/status/1851940965004509367|@its_adbo via X]] Established = 2022 Term Length = 1 year (renewable, up to 3 terms) Selection Process = Application → Shortlist & interview → Community voting Primary Duties = Gather community feedback, attend and present in quarterly Board meetings, and communicate with the community. Appointees = Louis Esner (2026)\\ Adam Bowman (2025)\\ Rohit Pakalapati (2024)\\ Louis Esner (2023)\\ Rob Godwin (2022) }} The Community Board Observer (CBO) is an annually elected volunteer community member tasked with representing the community at Nothing board meetings. Established to strengthen the relationship between community and Nothing, the CBO monitors community sentiment, gathers feedback and conveys this to the board on a quarterly basis. As well as attending quarterly board meetings, the CBO prepares reports and communicates insights back to the community through written posts and videos, as well as running their own initiatives such as surveys and the CBO interviews series and attending in-person events.((https://nothing.community/d/1384)) ====== Appointees & Contributions ====== {{:people:louis_esner_2026.webp | Louis Esner, 2026 CBO}}===== 2026 - Louis Esner ===== In a historic event, Louis, the 2023 Community Board Observer, returned for a second term in 2026, marking the first CBO to be elected twice.((https://nothing.community/d/50879)) ==== Community usernames ==== | Platform | Username | | nothing.community | [[https://nothing.community/u/Loubear|Loubear]] | | Discord | .loubear | | Reddit | [[https://www.reddit.com/u/Desperate-Mobile-7|u/Desperate-Mobile-7]] | | X | [[https://x.com/louioo|louioo]] | ==== Board meeting write-ups ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/52750|Q4 2025 Community Board Observer Digest]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/57108 | Q1 2026 Community Board Observer Digest]] ==== Notable content ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/56593|CBO Interviews: Zac & Selin, Global Community Team]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/57469|CBO Interviews: Stefano Scaglione, Global Community Lead]] {{:people:adam_bowman_2025.webp | Adam Bowman, 2025 CBO}}===== 2025 - Adam Bowman ===== The Board Observer for 2025, Adam, from Darlington, England, has been a community member since January 2021, a [[:community|Nothing Community]] moderator since March 2022 and is the creator of the [[community:community_platforms#subreddits|r/NothingTech]] subreddit.((https://nothing.community/d/21684)) ==== Community usernames ==== | Platform | Username | | nothing.community | [[https://nothing.community/u/adbo|adbo]] | | Discord | adbo | | Reddit | [[https://reddit.com/u/AdaaamB|u/AdaaamB]] | | X | [[https://x.com/its_adbo|its_adbo]] | ==== Board meeting write-ups ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/45805|Q3 2025 Community Board Observer digest]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/38809|Q2 2025 Community Board Observer digest]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/32417|Q1 2025 Community Board Observer digest]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/26050|Q4 2024 Community Board Observer digest]] ==== Notable content ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/46443|A day in the life of Nothing's Community Board Observer]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/44238|Hands on with OS 4.0 - what are your thoughts on Extra Dark Mode?]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/42393|CBO Interviews: Sélim Benayat, AI Product Lead]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/36540|Phone (3) launch event in London: Come to Play - My experience]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/34436|CBO Interviews: Heru Prasetyo, Original Content Lead]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/29091|CBO interviews: Hollie Bishop, Global Growth Marketing Director]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/28371|Ear & Ear (a) Community Feedback - have your voice heard!]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/28371|Phone (3a) Series: drops & events around the world!]] {{:people:rohit_pakalapati_2024.webp | Rohit Pakalapati, 2024 CBO}}===== 2024 - Rohit Pakalapati ===== Born in India, Rohit moved to the UK to pursue his master’s in Marketing Management (digital). An active community member since October 2021, Rohit went on to join Nothing’s Product Marketing team after ending his CBO term.((https://nothing.community/d/3518)) ==== Community usernames ==== | Platform | Username | | nothing.community | [[https://nothing.community/u/RohitPakalapati|RohitPakalapati]] | | Discord | rohitpakalapati | | Reddit | [[https://reddit.com/u/RohitVarma111|u/RohitVarma111]] | | X | [[https://x.com/rohitspeakshere|rohitspeakshere]] | ==== Board meeting write-ups ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/19756|Community Board Observer Update Q3 2024: After Meeting Report]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/14343|Community Board Observer Update Q2 2024: After Meeting Report]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/10099|Community Board Observer Update Q1 2024: After Meeting Report]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/5450|Community Board Observer Update Q4 2023: After Meeting Report]] ==== Notable content ==== * [[https://nothing.community/d/22068|Update: I'm Joining the Product Marketing Team at Nothing]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/22556|CBO Interviews: Ryan Latham on Building Nothing's Global Brand Identity]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/18563|Community Insight: What Does Nothing Stand For?]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/17785|Community Insight: Enhancing Community Site Content and Engagement]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/17386|CBO Interviews: Mladen M. Hoyss on Shaping the Future of Nothing OS]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/12287|Community Insight: Exploring Ideas for Local Community Activities]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/12090|Community Collaboration: Share your pain points and blockers for co-creation]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/12215|Community Insight: Your Preferred Platform for Engagement]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/12090|CBO Interviews: Talking Finance with Tim Holbrow, CFO at Nothing]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/11324|Community Insight: Thoughts on Including Product Launches in Quarterly Updates]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/6814|Nothing Phone (2a) Launch: From the Eyes of Community Board Observer]] * [[https://nothing.community/d/5304|Behind the Scenes: My First Board Meeting at Nothing as a Community Voice]] {{:people:louis_esner_2023.webp | Louis Esner, 2023 CBO}}===== 2023 - Louis Esner ===== A Social Media Manager based in London, community member since June 2021 and moderator since June 2022, Louis was elected as the second CBO after voting was held in Nothing’s Discord server. ==== Community usernames ==== | Platform | Username | | nothing.community | [[https://nothing.community/u/Loubear|Loubear]] | | Discord | .loubear | | X | [[https://x.com/louioo|louioo]] | {{:people:rob_godwin_2022.webp | Rob Godwin, 2022 CBO}}===== 2022 - Rob Godwin ===== Rob has been a community member since May 2021 and was the first ever elected CBO. After his term, Rob joined the Nothing team as [[people:community_team|Community Manager]]. ==== Community usernames ==== | Platform | Username | | nothing.community | [[https://nothing.community/u/Rob|Rob]] | | Discord | robgodwin | | X | [[https://x.com/robgodwin_|robgodwin_]] | ====== History & Selection Process ====== The CBO role was introduced in 2022 to guarantee that community voices are heard at the highest levels, bridging the gap between the company and its users via continuous engagement across platforms. The first CBO election in 2022 was held on the invite-only nothing.community. In 2023, the election was held on Discord before moving back to nothing.community for the 2024 voting. ===== Annual Selection ===== **Application**: Open to any active community member across the world, applications typically open in November. Requirements include being aged 18 or above, being active and recognisable within the community, having strong communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English, and committing to attend quarterly board meetings; in person or virtually. **Selection**: After applications close, an internal review and shortlisting process is undertaken. Shortlisted candidates are then invited to interviews with leadership, to ensure that candidates are a good fit for the role. **Voting**: The shortlisted candidates are revealed and voting by the community begins, typically via a post and post on nothing.community. Candidates are invited to write a personal statement to aid users in making their choice. **Onboarding**: The candidate with the highest vote count is invited to become the new CBO and they start preparing themselves for their first board meeting in January. Typically, the inaugural CBO will write a post on various social platforms to further introduce themselves and thank users for their confidence during voting.((https://nothing.community/d/1384))((https://nothing.community/d/2828)) ====== Significance & Impact ====== The CBO role is a hallmark of Nothing’s community-centric ethos, a rarity among tech brands, that ensures community views and opinions are heard at the top level and concerns can be addressed. Previous CBOs have helped enhance transparency with the community, highlighting community projects and improving feedback loops. CBOs have the flexibility to raise their own ideas and start new initiatives. One notable example is the “CBO interviews” series, started by Rohit in 2024, which was continued into 2025 by Adam.