WINNER of the 2021 Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards! The first full-length novel in Martha Wells' New York Times and USA Today bestselling Murderbot Diaries series. An Amazon Best of the Year So Far Pick Named a Best of 2020 Pick for NPR | Book Riot | Polygon “I caught myself rereading my favorite parts... and I can’t recommend it enough.” —The New York Times You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century. — I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are. When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action. Drastic action it is, then. The Murderbot Diaries All Systems Red Artificial Condition Rogue Protocol Exit Strategy Network Effect Fugitive Telemetry System Collapse At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A startup executive and investor draws on expertise developed at the premier venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and as an executive at Uber to address how tech’s most successful products have solved the dreaded "cold start problem”—by leveraging network effects to launch and scale toward billions of users. Although software has become easier to build, launching and scaling new products and services remains difficult. Startups face daunting challenges entering the technology ecosystem, including stiff competition, copycats, and ineffective marketing channels. Teams launching new products must consider the advantages of “the network effect,” where a product or service’s value increases as more users engage with it. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants utilize network effects, and most tech products incorporate them, whether they’re messaging apps, workplace collaboration tools, or marketplaces. Network effects provide a path for fledgling products to break through, attracting new users through viral growth and word of mouth. Yet most entrepreneurs lack the vocabulary and context to describe them—much less understand the fundamental principles that drive the effect. What exactly are network effects? How do teams create and build them into their products? How do products compete in a market where every player has them? Andrew Chen draws on his experience and on interviews with the CEOs and founding teams of LinkedIn, Twitch, Zoom, Dropbox, Tinder, Uber, Airbnb, and Pinterest to offer unique insights in answering these questions. Chen also provides practical frameworks and principles that can be applied across products and industries. The Cold Start Problem reveals what makes winning networks thrive, why some startups fail to successfully scale, and, most crucially, why products that create and compete using the network effect are vitally important today.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a consultant, a jobseeker, in sales or business development, or simply want to move your career in the right direction, this book walks you through everything you need to know about connecting with other people. We can say that with certainty because it's been written as an extension of the interactive workshops that we've run for business schools, companies and other organisations since 2001. What 'The Network Effect' offers is sound, proven and above all practical advice underpinned by an explanation of the relevant concepts. If you understand 'why' something works as well as 'how', you have a far better chance of making it work for you. And that, in the final analysis, is our aim - to turn each and every reader into a better networker.

Are all film stars linked to Kevin Bacon? Why do the stock markets rise and fall sharply on the strength of a vague rumour? How does gossip spread so quickly? Are we all related through six degrees of separation? There is a growing awareness of the complex networks that pervade modern society. We see them in the rapid growth of the internet, the ease of global communication, the swift spread of news and information, and in the way epidemics and financial crises develop with startling speed and intensity. This introductory book on the new science of networks takes an interdisciplinary approach, using economics, sociology, computing, information science and applied mathematics to address fundamental questions about the links that connect us, and the ways that our decisions can have consequences for others.

Foreword by Bill Gates From the authors of New York Times bestsellers, The Alliance and The Start-up of You, comes a smart and accessible must-have guide for budding entrepreneurs everywhere.

This book introduces platform firms as unique business models. Leveraging on the early literature on network economics and strategy frameworks, this book explores how platform business firms evolve in the modern business world. Taking a strategic perspective, this book engages the reader with core concepts, case studies, and frameworks for analyzing platform business firms. This book differentiates platform business firms from traditional pipeline firms; explores engagement with different actors, value creation, and operations of platforms; elucidates resources and capabilities of platform firms that provide them sustained competitive advantage; analyzes performance levers in operating platform business models, including complementarities with other business models; and discusses the sustainability of platform business models, in the face of regulatory and societal challenges, among others. The book is designed as a primer for entrepreneurs setting up and operating platform business firms, senior managers in large corporations repurposing their resources to initiate network dynamics in their businesses, early career managers, and professionals engaging with myriad platform firms for their professional and personal needs. This book intends to provide a decision-maker with a portfolio of decisions to make to create, operate, sustain, and generate value out of a platform business firm. It is also useful for policy professionals to appreciate the economics and policy implications of regulating and governing platforms in a post-digital world.

A practical guide to the new economy that is transforming the way we live, work, and play. Uber. Airbnb. Amazon. Apple. PayPal. All of these companies disrupted their markets when they launched. Today they are industry leaders. What’s the secret to their success? These cutting-edge businesses are built on platforms: two-sided markets that are revolutionizing the way we do business. Written by three of the most sought-after experts on platform businesses, Platform Revolution is the first authoritative, fact-based book on platform models. Whether platforms are connecting sellers and buyers, hosts and visitors, or drivers with people who need a ride, Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary reveal the what, how, and why of this revolution and provide the first “owner’s manual” for creating a successful platform business. Platform Revolution teaches newcomers how to start and run a successful platform business, explaining ways to identify prime markets and monetize networks. Addressing current business leaders, the authors reveal strategies behind some of today’s up-and-coming platforms, such as Tinder and SkillShare, and explain how traditional companies can adapt in a changing marketplace. The authors also cover essential issues concerning security, regulation, and consumer trust, while examining markets that may be ripe for a platform revolution, including healthcare, education, and energy. As digital networks increase in ubiquity, businesses that do a better job of harnessing the power of the platform will win. An indispensable guide, Platform Revolution charts out the brilliant future of platforms and reveals how they will irrevocably alter the lives and careers of millions.