Nostr won't win by being an island paradise trying to convince others to join us doing pushups in the jungle.

Nostr will win by the degree to which it can seamlessly plug into and expand the already-existing constellations of the #fediverse.

Nostr will win if it offers value to you, even if you're the only person on earth who uses it.

Why?

Because it offers something most of that existing infrastructure can't: full data sovereignty, free speech, a platform through which to communicate ideas across multiple channels - without asking for permission to do so.

Nostr will win if plugging into it immediately gives you the entire fediverse (Bluesky, Lemmy, etc.) *plus* all the insanely cool benefits that come from an open protocol driven by a relay-based architecture.

It needs to leverage an existing network effect, not work against it and try to win people away from the #freedom tools they already use and enjoy, or hope they'll walk away from communities they are already part of.

Am I suggesting that you, dear Nostr developer, should keep this organising principle (expand the fediverse, don't try to out-compete it) in mind when building?

Yes and no. It's your time and your energy. Do what you want.

But if you care deeply about expanding Nostr's reach, don't fight the network effect. Leverage it.

#grownostr