person2007–present

Andrew Chen

Disciplines:

Summary

American growth executive and investor who ran growth at Uber, is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and is the author of The Cold Start Problem — the definitive book on network effects and how to launch products that depend on them.

Core Contribution

Created the most thorough practical theory of network effects — The Cold Start Problem's framework (cold start, tipping point, escape velocity, ceiling) and five-part arc of network effect products gave founders and PMs a vocabulary and toolkit that previously didn't exist for network-dependent products.

Key Spikes & Highlights

Atomic Network (Andrew Chen's framework from Cold Start: the minimum viable user base at which a product's network becomes self-sustaining; Zoom's atomic network is two people; Slack's is a single team; finding and assembling the atomic network is the only thing that matters in the cold start phase — everything else is premature)

Notable Works & Achievements

The Cold Start Problem

Historical Influences

Network effects theory Uber growth culture Marc Andreessen

Intellectual Lineage

Uber Andreessen Horowitz The Cold Start Problem

Contemporaries & Peers

Brian Balfour Casey Winters Lenny Rachitsky

Minds Influenced

Consumer tech growth practice Lenny's Podcast

Intellectual Posterity

The Cold Start Problem Andrew Chen as network effects

Discussing

Andrew Chen

Ask anything about Andrew Chen — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.

person2007–present

Andrew Chen

Disciplines:

Summary

Core Contribution

Key Spikes & Highlights

Atomic Network (Andrew Chen's framework from Cold Start: the minimum viable user base at which a product's network becomes self-sustaining; Zoom's atomic network is two people; Slack's is a single team; finding and assembling the atomic network is the only thing that matters in the cold start phase — everything else is premature)

Notable Works & Achievements

The Cold Start Problem

Historical Influences

Network effects theory Uber growth culture Marc Andreessen

Intellectual Lineage

Uber Andreessen Horowitz The Cold Start Problem

Contemporaries & Peers

Brian Balfour Casey Winters Lenny Rachitsky

Minds Influenced

Consumer tech growth practice Lenny's Podcast

Intellectual Posterity

The Cold Start Problem Andrew Chen as network effects

Discussing

Andrew Chen

Ask anything about Andrew Chen — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.