Earlier quoted context omitted.
> But after you've got there, you don't have to be that much better than the competition to win. I don't follow, did you mean it's O(log(n))? Otherwise a social network with 2mil users is still more than twice as good as a social network with 1mil users.
If the total value of the network is O(n log(n)) then the value per user is only O(log(n)). So comparing a 2 million user network with a 1 million user network, if the second one is on a product that is 10% better, users should find switching an improvement.
Thanks for explaining! I'd always heard that O(n^2) value for social networks but never really thought about who that value is for. Now that you mention it, the value of a network to an individual user really is only O(n) or even O(log(n)). So while the company still has a massive cash advantage, it's much harder to deepen that moat and secure your customers with it than it seemed.