"8. Dating. Current dating sites are not the last word. Better ones will appear. But anyone who wants to start a dating startup has to answer two questions: in addition to the usual question about how you're going to approach dating differently, you have to answer the even more important question of how to overcome the huge chicken and egg problem every dating site faces. A site like Reddit is interesting when there are only 20 users. But no one wants to use a dating site with only 20 users—which of course becomes a self-perpetuating problem. So if you want to do a dating startup, don't focus on the novel take on dating that you're going to offer. That's the easy half. Focus on novel ways to get around the chicken and egg problem."
To overcome network effects, such as in dating sites, the following can be used:
- Leverage an existing network (ie: Facebook).
- Partner with an existing network (ie: target niche users of a dating site)
- Do not make it look/feel like a dating site, but gradually grow into it, or keep dating as an aside functionality to finding or hanging out with like-minded people (much like a bar).
- Seed the dating site with fake or paid users (seedy, but practical).
- Give free or low-threshold access to either the chickens or the eggs. A dating site that is free for women or offers different functionality.
- Hustle your early users. Make friends and family use it.
- Making it useful for online marketeers, exclusive invite only, or the "place to be" by attracting famous people.