The Cold Start Problem
Andrew Chen
A Tier
When to Read
When you're trying to start growing beyond your first users
Main Takeaway
Network effects aren't just for social networks. Any product can find and leverage network dynamics to grow.
Style
Theoretical
Practical
Super interesting even if you don't have a network-based company like Instagram or Amazon. It talks about how you can leverage networks within companies, how companies that weren't necessarily network-based achieved network effects. Covers competing networks, why networks aren't a moat, and more. It gave me a great idea about how to grow beyond word of mouth and what 'good' looks like in a word-of-mouth sense. S tier if you have a network product like a marketplace.