March 8th, 2019

New behaviors create new graphs. New graphs don’t necessarily create new behaviors.

I like to picture social networks as planets and the users as objects in orbit. The earliest users visited this planet for a distinct reason, there was some level of intriguing entertainment of practical value. And through a WOM, acq models, and growth mechanics, another cohort of users come to the planet to get their value.

The vaunted #NETWORKEFFECTS #LOOPS set in. Each new user brings incremental value to the service. It’s the place to be for said activity or information, maybe the only place because it’s thee party.

Many years later you may have tens of millions users in orbit. All “stuck” and reinforcing each other to some extent.

If I wanted to extract and bring some users over to my new planet, I can’t just promise a better planet. “Oh Saturn, please...the UX, value, and brand of Neptune is at least 3x as good.”

Saturn users aren’t gonna budge. All their peeps are in orbit together. They’re not willing to switch and traverse the cold, black space to head to your lackluster orbit.

In fact, if I was Neptune, I wouldn’t even pitch a better planet. There won’t be any chance mass cut and paste of users in one orbit or another. Better on the same dimensions isn’t going to do it.

What you’ve got to develop is a passing comet that can fly-by Saturn with a uniquely better offering. This offering is giving Saturn orbiters a chance to do something they can’t do at all today. It’s not about making what they can do slightly better or easier, it’s giving them a path to something bold and unmet.

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