You definitely don't need to join some exclusive Bitcoin club or community to make money trading or investing in cryptocurrency.  I've watched my buddy get into Bitcoin all on his own, doing his own research online and whatnot, without reaching out to any forums or groups for tips.  He taught himself everything he needed to know and has done very well over the last few years. 

I think communities can help people learn faster and all, but if someone wants to go solo and figure stuff out themselves more power to them.  There's enough solid information out there that an average Joe could totally pick up enough from Google and YouTube tutorials and blogs to get a basic understanding and  you can lead a horse to water and all that.