5 resources from Andrew Chen we point founders to, and the questions each answers.
📖 Book
✓ Link checkedPaidIntermediate
Why we picked it
Chen names the hard side of the network, the users who create most of the value and are hardest to win, and shows how to reach a first atomic network small enough to feel full. It is the deepest treatment of why you concentrate rather than spread. Read it when you want the theory behind picking and nurturing supply.
Why we picked it
Chen frames the exact trap you are in: pouring signups into a bucket that leaks, where more acquisition just wastes more water. He lays out scenarios that separate an onboarding leak from a deeper product leak, which is the fork in your question. It is the reason 'fix activation before you touch acquisition' is the right order of operations.
Why we picked it
A single average retention number hides whether you have a small core of people who love the product, which is the seed you build on. This histogram approach shows you that core clearly, so you can tell a total dud from a real but narrow fit that needs better onboarding to widen. Use it when your headline retention looks flat but you suspect a few users are genuinely hooked.
Why we picked it
Drawn from studying thousands of products, Chen argues you cannot bolt retention on later with notifications or tweaks; it comes from the core product solving a real, recurring need. It is a sobering counterweight if you are hoping onboarding polish alone will fix a curve that keeps falling to zero. Read it to be honest with yourself about which side of your own question you are actually on.
Why we picked it
This is the direct counter to the fear in your short answer, that a platform update erases your product overnight. Chen argues the classic moats (distribution, network effects, workflow lock-in) come back exactly because the model is a commodity. Read it to understand what you must build around the model so you are not just a thin layer.
