Network effects are critical for social networks / digital products to work. This is because every connection compounds the value of the product.

Facebook achieved its network effect by starting at elite universities and teasing false scarcity in the roll out of their product. It was cool to be on Facebook and not everyone had the opportunity. When a new user base had the opportunity to participate they opted in, and many became instantaneous heavy users.

While the free speech angle of NOSTR is cool, the network effect isn’t happening. I follow 800+ accounts but the same couple dozen individuals are active … and there isn’t a lot of compounding effect in the engagements.

How does this change? Will the NOSTR developers make it long enough to let the network effects occur naturally? Are the financial incentives enough to make this ecosystem function?