Why the Crowd Attracts a Crowd
Written by Studio AM.
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Some products become more valuable the more people use them. A single telephone is useless; there is no one to call. A million telephones form a system worth far more than the sum of its parts. This pattern is called a network effect.
The pull is powerful. Once a service has many users, newcomers join because that is where everyone already is, and each new member makes it more attractive to the next. The same force can trap people, too. A product may keep its lead not because it is best but because everyone is already there, and no one wants to be first to leave. This is why strong networks are hard to challenge: a rival may need more than a better tool. It could help existing friends join together, or allow communication with people who have not switched.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main idea?
The answer is B: A larger network adds value and makes switching harder
The passage defines network effects and shows how they attract newcomers and lock users in.
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Question 2 of 4
Why is the strongest network hard for a rival to defeat?
The answer is B: A new service must also address users’ existing connections.
People value access to their contacts, so a rival needs to make those connections available, not merely improve individual features.
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Question 3 of 4
According to the passage, why is a single telephone useless?
The answer is B: There is no one to call
The passage states 'A single telephone is useless; there is no one to call.'
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Question 4 of 4
In the passage, "rival" most nearly means:
The answer is B: a product competing for users
A rival is a competing product trying to attract the network's users.
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