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How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users
Come for the tool, stay for the network” is one of the most famous strategies for launching and scaling networks. Start with a great “tool”—a product experience that is useful even for one user as a utility. Then, over time, pivot the users into a series of use cases that tap into a “network”—the part where you collaborate, share, communicate, or o
... See moreAndrew Chen • The Cold Start Problem: Using Network Effects to Scale Your Product
Below, co-founders Dylan Diamond and Max Baron share their biggest lessons on building a viral social consumer app, including:
- Embracing single-player mode as a wedge for social products
- Building a product that users feel was built just for them
- Why it’s OK to be unscalable—you can make it scale later
- Building a familiar product is much easier if you’r
Lenny Rachitsky • Lessons on building a viral consumer app: The story of Saturn
How to convince people to join your startup
I actually researched and covered this in a previous issue, so go read that post. Here’s the high-level summary of what you need to get right:
I actually researched and covered this in a previous issue, so go read that post. Here’s the high-level summary of what you need to get right:
- Captivating vision —Make it easy for candidates to visualize what you are building toward and to feel like their work will be meaningful.
- A++ early team —The best
Lenny Rachitsky • Hiring your early team
Advice: Do things that don’t scale—go direct to your potential supply and convince them to try your platform.
Lenny Rachitsky • Kickstarting supply in a labor marketplace
Common themes emerge when you look at Slack’s strong network launch as well as the successes across marketplaces, social networks, developer platforms, and dozens of other categories. Many of them are counterintuitive: The networked product should be launched in its simplest possible form—not fully featured—so that it has a dead simple value propos
... See moreAndrew Chen • The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects
7 unique distribution advantages: 1. Starting with a pre-existing audience
2. Developing a unique viral loop
3. Being first on an emerging platform
4. Having a remarkable story
5. Starting with pre-existing strategic relationships
6. Closing early strategic partnerships
7. Bringing extraordinary hustle