The Cold Start Problem

Question 1

What are the two main points in the growth acceleration curve, and how are they defined?

Answer 1

Allee threshold - tipping point where network growth happens organically

Carrying capacity - where the network size itself starts to decrease growth trajectory

Question 2

What are the five stages of the cold start theory?

Answer 2

1) Cold start problem
2) Tipping point
3) Escape velocity
4) Hitting the ceiling
5) The moat

Question 3

What is important to forecast about the size of the network in advance of product launch?

Answer 3

A hypothesis for the size of the network to become self sustaining or hit the tipping point

Question 4

What is important about the size of your initial product launch market?

Answer 4

Keep it super small - to an “atomic network”

• Limited features
• Dead simple value proposition
• Smallest possible network
• Do whatever it takes to get momentum