Cold Start Problem
Network effects: launch and scale networked products
Launch and scale products that live or die by network effects — marketplaces, social apps, and collaboration tools — using Andrew Chen's framework from The Cold Start Problem. This skill equips your AI agent with the five stages of network growth, from building one atomic network to defending the moat at scale.
The Cold Start Problem
npx skills add wondelai/skills/cold-start-problem What your agent learns
Atomic Networks
Build the smallest network that is stable and self-sustaining — pick a network, not a market, and over-deliver for that tiny group first.
The Hard Side
Every network has a minority who do disproportionate work — creators, sellers, drivers. Solve their motivations and economics first.
The Tipping Point
Turn the first working network into a repeatable playbook — invite-only mechanics, subsidies, and seeding that tip network after network.
Escape Velocity
Run the acquisition, engagement, and economic effects as separate workstreams instead of treating "network effects" as one magic force.
The Ceiling & the Moat
Growth stalls against saturation, channel decay, and quality collapse — defend the hard side and your densest niches from cherry-picking rivals.
Try these with the skill installed
Design an atomic network launch plan for our two-sided marketplace using cold-start-problem skill
Launch strategyIdentify the hard side of our network and how to win them first using cold-start-problem skill
Network growthAudit our growth plan for big-bang launch and vanity metric traps using cold-start-problem skill
Plan reviewDiagnose why our marketplace growth stalled and which ceiling we hit using cold-start-problem skill
Growth diagnosisInstall Cold Start Problem
Free, open-source, and ready in 30 seconds.
npx skills add wondelai/skills/cold-start-problem MIT Licensed · Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Claude Cowork & OpenClaw · No account needed
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