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Applied Network Effects

4.8

(38 ratings)

·

3 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Learn how to evaluate, build, scale and monetize network effects — the secret to building valuable companies.

Course overview

Harness the power of network effects to build valuable companies

According to a study by NFX, 70% of the value created in tech can be attributed to network effects. That said, network effects can also be complex and nuanced, leading to missed opportunities and wasted effort. This course will help you avoid these mistakes by identifying the strongest and weakest types of network effects. Whether you are a founder, operator or investor, this course will give you the tools to effectively scale, measure and monetize them.


This course is built on frameworks derived from case studies like Uber, Airbnb, Shpock, Opentable, Treatwell, Homejoy, Shyp, Moviepass, Spotify, Vestiaire Collective, Opendoor, Upwork, Poshmark, Autotrader, Classpass, Leaflink, Docplanner, Facebook, Snapchat, Discord, Slack, Zoom, Carta, Meerkat, Houseparty, Paypal, Linkedin, Venmo, XANT, Tripadvisor, Waze, Moovit, Grammarly, Transit, Xbox, iOS, Android, Roku, Salesforce and Shopify.


In addition, learning to apply these frameworks is a key component of the course. In half of the live sessions, you will be applying these frameworks in live, group exercises.

Who is this course for

01

Founders

You are building an early-stage startup and are trying to develop network effects

02

Investors

You want to understand network effects to screen investment opportunities and support portfolio companies

03

Product & GTM Leaders

You work at a company that is built on network effects and want to leverage them better or enhance them

Learn how to evaluate and unlock network effects

Types of network effects

The four different types of network effects — marketplaces, interaction networks, data networks, and platforms — and frameworks to assess the efficacy of each type

Properties of each network effect type

For each type of network effect, understand factors that influence growth, unit economics and barriers to competition

Beating the cold start problem

Understand factors that can make it more difficult to overcome the cold start problem and strategies to achieve liquidity — and how they differ across different types of network effects

How to generate revenue

Identify monetization options available to network effect businesses and how they are influenced by the type of network effect

Virality vs. network effects

Understand the difference between virality and network effects — and how to combine them

How to combine network effects

How you can layer multiple forms of network effects — to strengthen defensibility and scalability even further

How to curate your network

How you can maximize positive network effects and minimize negative ones

How to measure network effects

How you can identify the most important metrics for each network type, and how you can measure them

Course syllabus

6 live sessions • 3 modules • 16 lessons
Expand all modules

  • Week 1

    Jan 16—Jan 21

    Events

    • Jan

      16

      Live Session 1: Intro to Network Effects & Marketplaces

      Tue, Jan 16, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM UTC

    • Jan

      18

      Live Session 2: Marketplace Exercises

      Thu, Jan 18, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM UTC

    Modules

    • Free preview

      Intro to Network Effects & Marketplaces

      We will first cover the definition of network effects, their properties and basic taxonomy. After this, we will dive deeper into marketplaces, leveraging case studies like Uber, Airbnb, Vestiaire Collective and many others.

  • Week 2

    Jan 22—Jan 28

    Events

    • Jan

      23

      Live Session 3: Interaction & Data Networks

      Tue, Jan 23, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM UTC

    • Jan

      25

      Live Session 4: Interaction & Data Network Exercises

      Thu, Jan 25, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM UTC

    Modules

    • Interaction & Data Networks

      We will start by diving deeper into interaction networks, leveraging case studies like Facebook, Snapchat, Discord, Slack, etc. Following this, we will explore data networks with the help of case studies like Waze, Moovit, XANT, and many others.

  • Week 3

    Jan 29—Feb 2

    Events

    • Jan

      30

      Live Session 5: Platforms & Managing Network Effects

      Tue, Jan 30, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM UTC

    • Feb

      1

      Live Session 6: Layering Exercises

      Thu, Feb 1, 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM UTC

    Modules

    • Platforms & Managing Network Effects

      In the final module, we will unpack platforms, leveraging case studies like iOS, Salesforce, Roku, etc. Following this, we will explore how to layer, curate and measure network effects with the help of case studies like Poshmark, Twitter and many others.

4.8

(38 ratings)

What students are saying

Student Improvement: Before & After

Participants saw marked improvements in their ability to identify, assess & measure network effects.
Participants saw marked improvements in their ability to identify, assess & measure network effects.

See what people are saying

        Sameer's course is a goldmine of insights on marketplaces and network effects. It has greatly improved my understanding of my business. This course is a game-changer.
Pedro Claveria Gonzalez

Pedro Claveria Gonzalez

CSO & Co-Founder at Playtomic.io
        This is a must for any VC worth their salt. It's the first time I feel like I've actively learned something not on-the-job since I joined the industry four years ago.
Henrik Wetter Sanchez

Henrik Wetter Sanchez

Partner at Playfair Capital
        I've already recommended this to friends... Most people hear the words "network effects" and they assume some very broad and vague ideas about it, which are often hard to act on. The course taught a lot of specific and practical information that opened our minds to new strategies that we could actually use.
Tova Safra

Tova Safra

Co-founder & Chief Design Officer at Groove
        Sameer is a truly expectational thought leader when it comes to network effects. He has created pragmatic frameworks to help you dissect, evaluate and strengthen your startup's NFX. The content he has created is truly at the forefront of understanding NFX. On one else comes close (including Andrew Chen's book).
Shiv Sinha

Shiv Sinha

Co-Founder & CTO at newtrul
        This course reinvigorated my love of learning. I've already started working through the frameworks with my colleagues to figure out how to make our product more engaging.
Meghan McCormick

Meghan McCormick

Co-founder & CEO at OZÉ
        We now make it a condition in our offer letter to new, junior team members to take this course (we obviously cover the cost). Keep up the good work!
Mathias Ockenfels

Mathias Ockenfels

General Partner, Marketplaces & Consumer at Speedinvest
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Join an upcoming cohort

Applied Network Effects

Cohort 10

$1,250 USD

Dates

Jan 16—Feb 2, 2024

Application Deadline

Jan 10, 2024

|

Bulk purchases

Meet your instructor

Sameer Singh

Sameer Singh

Creator of Breadcrumb.vc | Venture Partner at Speedinvest | Atomico Angel

Sameer is an early-stage investor focused on network effects. He is the creator of Breadcrumb.vc, a globally renowned resource on network effects. He is also a Venture Partner at Speedinvest and part of the Atomico Angel Program.


Previously, he was the global director of consulting at App Annie (now called Data.ai) — an app market data company that raised $160M from leading VC firms like Sequoia and Greycroft. In this role, he advised leading companies like Spotify, Shpock, and Trainline. Before moving to Europe with App Annie, he was an early-stage VC in India where he first began exploring network effects.

Course Schedule

6-8 hours per week

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays

    5:00 PM - 7:30 PM GMT

    Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the 3-week duration of the course.

    Tuesdays: Theory and frameworks relevant to different forms of network effects.

    Thursdays: Apply frameworks to real-world examples in live group exercises.

  • Join live, rewatch anytime

    Every session will be recorded, so you can watch it again if you have to miss one, or just want a refresh on the material.

A pattern of wavy dots
Join an upcoming cohort

Applied Network Effects

Cohort 10

$1,250 USD

Dates

Jan 16—Feb 2, 2024

Application Deadline

Jan 10, 2024

|

Bulk purchases

Free resource

Network Effects Crash Course

This is a recording of a workshop that can best be described as a network effects crash course. It describes the different variants of network effects and what makes them scalable and defensible (or not!). As a bonus, there are a couple of exercises at the end that show you how to apply these frameworks.

Get this free video

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active, not passive

This course focuses on live workshops and hands-on projects

Learn in public

You’ll be learning in public through breakout rooms and an engaged community

Learn with a cohort of peers

Surround yourself with like-minded people who want to grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

I work full-time, what is the expected time commitment?
What happens if I can’t make it to a live session?
Are there alternative time slots I can attend?
I've already read Sameer's essays. how is this any different?
Can I expense the cost of the course?

Stay in the loop

Sign up to be the first to know about course updates.

A pattern of wavy dots
Join an upcoming cohort

Applied Network Effects

Cohort 10

$1,250 USD

Dates

Jan 16—Feb 2, 2024

Application Deadline

Jan 10, 2024

|

Bulk purchases

$1,250 USD

4.8

(38)

·

3 Weeks

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