10 Best Articles on Network Effects
The most useful articles on network effects from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Network Effects Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on network effects by Refind users in 2023.
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on network effects—all under 10 minutes.
Kickstarting Network Effects
Network effects can be found powering almost every major technology company, from messaging apps and workplace collaboration tools, like Slack and Zoom, to marketplaces, like Airbnb and Instacart to…
Beyond Metcalfe’s Law for Network Effects, and Towards a Better Model
Metcalfe’s Law persists today in discussions of network effects, yet it is not enough for those in the industry who seek to create, scale, and compete using this powerful force -- the product…
“Content network effect” makes TikTok tough to copy
Many TikTok videos don’t start from scratch, so neither can its competitors. TikTok is all about remixes where users shoot a new video to recontextualize audio pulled from someone else’s clip, or riff…
📬 Linkedin: Gamifying Status
Delivering single player value for a network-effect based business.
The Three Systems Beneath Network Effects
An exclusive excerpt from a16z general partner Andrew Chen’s new book, The Cold Start Problem
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on network effects.
Your Life is Driven by Network Effects
What city you live in. Who you date or marry. Which job you choose. What clothes you wear.We all think we make these choices ourselves. It certainly feels like we’re in full control. But it turns out…
Hidden Networks: Network Effects That Don’t Look Like Network Effects
Some network effects (when a network gains more value to its users as more people participate in its platform) don’t show up in the usual metrics. Their hidden nature makes them hard to measure – but they can confer significant long-term competitive advantages. In an insightful article for A16Z.com, D’Arcy Coolican – an Andreessen Horowitz partner and a co-founder of the peer-to-peer lending platform Frank – shines a light on hidden networks, giving useful guidelines for identifying when they’re at work.
The Network Effects Manual: 13 Different Network Effects (and counting)
The 13 Network Effects & How They Actually Work
How Network Effects Rule the World (with James Currier)
Entrepreneur and investor James Currier joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the power and future of networks.
Pipelines, Platforms, and the New Rules of Strategy
Scale now trumps differentiation.
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