Chicken before the egg

[Jackolantern]

So I am trying to think of a project to start on and am having some trouble. I would love to work on some kind of non-game social app utilizing some kind of real-time, but the problem with starting stuff like that is the old "chicken before the egg" problem (or catch 22). The value of social apps is the people on them. But that means when it starts, it has no value, so why would anyone sign up and stick around? Is the only solution to this money, where you could just bombard advertising to try to get a fast influx of people in the first days?

Any idea how this can be overcome? Or is money the only answer?

[Xaos]

IMO just present something really cool, and people will come. The first will be the "famous", so they won't be turned away from members, most will think of ita success IF its a cool product

[OldRod]

Step 1 - Watch "The Social Network" and see how Facebook was created
Step 2 - Write something that is better, less annoying and with more privacy options and less ads
Step 3 - ????
Step 4 - Profit!!

[Jackolantern]

There is some wisdom to how Facebook started, where it began small and served only a small amount of people (compared to how many it would one-day serve). When it started, it was only for Harvard students who already had a strong, real-world social network that helped get people seeded into it. I have considered that kind of strategy as well, but even then the beginning is so important and you still need a floodgate of people in the beginning.

IMO just present something really cool, and people will come. The first will be the "famous", so they won't be turned away from members, most will think of ita success IF its a cool product

But the problem with social networking type products is different than with games. A social network application is only "cool" if it is serving a purpose, and with no people, it isn't. Would you stick around Facebook if you were the only person on it? What about a dating site if you are the only person on it? When it comes to these types of apps, the entire purpose, and what makes them cool, is connecting to other people. No other people, no connection, no purpose. At least with most online games, you can play solo, so the very first person who registers has something to do to stick around for.

[OldRod]

The problem is, there's no way to start out big. Even Google had problems with their social network at the beginning, simply because people needed something to pull them (and their friends) from Facebook.

The best thing you can do is create something that is the way you want it to be. Then get your friends to try it out and stay connected with you through it, rather than Facebook. If they like it, tell their friends, and so on. It'll be a slow process, but I really don't think there is any other way unless you were able to advertise the crap out of it.

[hallsofvallhalla]

The problem with chicken before the egg is we get so caught up in wondering how the egg will survive or where did the chicken come from that we forget it doesn't matter. It changes nothing either way. Build it and if you don't get users at least you got a project to show your work and experience from it. No completed project goes wasted. They are good for job interviews, open sourcing, ads. or even selling them. It is hard to say the hows if you do not have the question completed. I am sure if Mark Z. sat around and worried about how he was going to get to where facebook is now he would not bother. Start small and hope it grows. If it doesn't naturally then it probably won't with a ton of work. If it is good and provides the service people want then it will make it.

[Cayle]

Any idea how this can be overcome? Or is money the only answer?

Way #1
The steriotypical way that silicon alley startups overcome exactly this problem is to try to get featured on TechCrunch. Yeah, you'll only get SV techies (and for some off reason, among SV venture capitalists, this is "everybody"), but its a start. IIRC, that's how twitter did it.

Way #2
Do you have a teenage daughter? Do you have influence with somebody's teenage daughter? Is your app mobile? For the general population, everyone is anchored in FB, because that's where everyone is. For teenies, they want a social network du jour that does not have their parents on it. They only care about their clique. So get the teeny to get her friends on it. That's how whatsapp came into my life; by way of my daughter.

[a_bertrand]

Social networks are hard beasts.... Look at goodle. They created "wave" or what was the name? Total failure. Now they offer Google+, does that work? I'm far from being sure. MySpace basically died, Second life? Nobody talks about it (yes it's not 100% the same but still). What survives today? Mainly Facebook (for how long is not yet clear) and Tweeter (plus a couple of others smaller things).

I'm far from being a fan of a social network, why? Because as user I hardly see the advantage of it. Can't I contact my friends differently? Isn't a forum better for open discussions? Are email not MUCH better for private discussions? Find new "friends" which you actually never met and interact with is for me of no value, as well as say how many candies I hate in a min. And guess what, I'm far from being alone at missing the point of all those social buzz. So maybe instead of running after what can be yet another bubble which will disappear soon enough, why don't you try to think about a service YOU would like to have? If you run after money then... this is certainly not the right road. Easy money means illegal actions, beside that, money means a lot of work or a lot of luck (lottery?).

[Callan S.]

My suggestion is include dress ups. Especially some sort of activity where each day they can gain points toward unlocking a new dress.

People like dressing little avatars, seeing what look they can get.

What got you interested in making a social app, Jack?

[Jackolantern]

What got you interested in making a social app, Jack?

A pretty unique spin on a dating site. Unfortunately, that truly is a catch-22, when the total, complete sum of its value is in the ability to connect with other people