How do you solve chicken-and-egg problem especially for web 2.0 apps requiring hard traction (and many users) to function (e.g. date site, marketplace, etc)?<p>I have an idea for a collaborative/shared marketplace for a niche product (think airbnb, but for other niche) and is currently building a prototype, but is confused on how to get the very early user for the site to function. I know how user #1 experience is crucial and how del.ico.us was started as a personal bookmarking site, but how does airbnb, craiglist, and many social site gain traction?<p>Many thanks for the help.
One way to get past this (it worked for 'reddit') is to fake a bunch of accounts and stop sleeping for the first three months or so, until you have enough real 'eggs' and chickens to keep real ones interested.<p>The way I got past it on ww.com is to launch the site from a mailing list that was already 'on topic' so a large number of people decided to try it out at once and found each other.
Check out Strategy Letter II: Chicken and Egg Problems by Joel Spolsky. It has some good thoughts on the problem.<p><a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000054.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000054.html</a>
You need to either:<p>1. Tap into existing communities that would be a good fit for your product that are already using other processes for transactions...<p>2. Provide some utility to the eggs (or the chickens) that doesn't require the other party.<p>3. Spend money on advertising to both sides.