How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users

Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by nickbauman on Sunday May 24, 2020 @07:18PM (#23295823)

What about the PayPal way? They took a certain amount of VC money and used it to buy and sell on EBay and demand to pay/sell using only PayPal. It basically acted as a parasite on EBay until they reached critical mass. I call it "gamification of established platform". Diabolical but effective. PayPal's company mascot should be the Sea Lamprey.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by tomcam on Sunday May 24, 2020 @08:11PM (#23296212)

I believe the primary way they succeeded was giving away money. When you signed up they'd give you $10. Later it was reduced to $5. You could also get that amount by signing up friends

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by bigtones on Sunday May 24, 2020 @10:40PM (#23297199)

This is the same way Square's cash app has grown very fast to 50 million users, buy giving away $5 to each new user referred.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by chii on Sunday May 24, 2020 @11:18PM (#23297445)

would uber count? They subsidize the cost of rides to get users.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by julianeon on Sunday May 24, 2020 @07:37PM (#23295963)

Heh, this is the first time I've heard this. Before I was only familiar with the up-from-bootstraps "we just became so popular through a pay button everyone loved" success story.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by nickbauman on Sunday May 24, 2020 @07:46PM (#23296023)

But some many online payment companies had already tried and failed at "traditional" growth. PayPal crossed the chasm by essentially bad faith gamesmanship. Nothing illegal, mind you; but I would consider it highly unethical. Not to mention difficult to stop if you're EBay.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by mandelbrotwurst on Sunday May 24, 2020 @10:31PM (#23297140)

Why would it have been difficult to stop for eBay, couldn't they have simply removed the PayPal button from their site if they didn't like it?

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by throwawaywrench on Sunday May 24, 2020 @11:43PM (#23297562)

as I read the above PayPal wasnt a button on eBay yet. Just based on the above comments it sounds like initially PayPal staff were doing a bunch of buying and selling on eBay and insisting they they be paid via this thing called 'PayPal'.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by exolymph on Sunday May 24, 2020 @08:17PM (#23296242)