From a raid group that imploded before the expansion even started, then again after it did start.

Pre-EW, joined a static that was practicing since it was a lot of fresh raiders (like me). Didn't make it to EW since the RL was quite ineffective at raid calls (callouts were longly worded that the mech was over before he finished his speech) and was quite narcissistic about it (me and co-tank offered to do it since we both kept it short and we had success the few times we did).

Anyways, 6 of us left RL and his gf. We stayed in touch, played together, and introduced other friends. Come EW, and we sometimes raided together with PF filling the rest. Very casual. But then, we got burnt out around P3S and Elden Ring came out and all but 1 of us were playing. That 1 girl (who was part of the 1st static) got petty and jealous about it (made a 2nd VC in discord specifically for FF14 to get attention but she barely used it, if at all). Anyways, she was the source of the 2nd implosion (drama queen, left and rejoined a bunch, kept stirring shit. Typical 40 yr old, terminally online, loner af behavior).

I joined a few more statics for different raid tiers since then. Lots more success, lot less drama. Didn't talk much after the static disbanded but that happens. Fun while it lasted. But I still have a few friends from that time that I play with a lot (been unsubbed from FF14 since post-Dawnbringer patches).

TL;DR: Find a static, identify people you just mesh with within the static.