# Network Effects, Moats, & the Business of web3 > with @skominers @smc90 In this deep dive and tour through key business concepts, from theory to practice, we cover the topics of strategy, competitive advantage, network effects, moats, and more — covering both both basic foundations, as well as the tricky nuances in a new world of open source, incl... - URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/network-effects-moats-the-business-of-web3 - Authors: [Sonal Chokshi](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/sonal-chokshi), [Scott Duke Kominers](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/scott-kominers) - Published: 2023-05-15 - Updated: 2025-06-04 - Focus areas: research - Tags: network effects, podcast - Format: podcast --- [Embedded media](https://player.simplecast.com/be10baa9-0f73-44e3-b150-d3e3abb8b211?dark=true) with @skominers @smc90 In this deep dive and tour through key business concepts, from theory to practice, we cover the topics of strategy, competitive advantage,  network effects, moats, and more — covering both both basic foundations, as well as the tricky nuances in a new world of open source, including web3.  In the first half of this discussion, we cover foundational business concepts and questions — such as the nature of competition, and how it \*really\* changes in web3; as well as how network effects really work — and then, in the second half (in case you want to skip ahead), we cover mindsets and general guidance for builders… Our expert guest — in conversation with editor in chief and host Sonal Chokshi — is a16z crypto research partner Scott Duke Kominers, who is also a professor at Harvard Business School; a faculty affiliate in Harvard’s Department of Economics; and advises several companies on marketplace development, incentive design, and more; as well as advises, and is directly involved, in several NFT communities. Scott also teaches on these topics — both at Harvard and also recently at our Crypto Startup School — so be sure to subscribe to our [playlist for those talks](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQ9HCQMu_8ywq3VUso7i_-TOx6RKXQeQ) on the [a16z crypto YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHq3W46BiAYjKUYZq2qm-Q) to get the latest updates as we release more videos from the 2023 cohort. related links // see also: - [Can web3 bring back competition to digital platforms?](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=62077) by Christian Catalini and Scott Duke Kominers - [Why build in web3](https://hbr.org/2022/05/why-build-in-web3) by Jad Esber and Scott Duke Kominers - [Vampire attacks: A theory (and thread) on ‘blood sucking’ platform competition](https://a16zcrypto.com/content/article/vampire-attacks-competition/) by John William Hatfield and Scott Duke Kominers - [Why NFT creators are going cc0]() by Flashrekt and Scott Duke Kominers - [Decentralized identity: Your reputation travels with you](https://a16zcrypto.com/content/article/decentralized-identity-on-chain-reputation/) by Scott Duke Kominers and Jad Esber - [Increasing returns and the new world of business](https://hbr.org/1996/07/increasing-returns-and-the-new-world-of-business) (1996) by W. Brian Arthur - [Network effects, origin Stories, and the evolution of tech](https://future.com/podcasts/network-effects-increasing-returns-trends/) with W. Brian Arthur, Marc Andreeessen, and Sonal Chokshi - [The five competitive forces that shape strategy](https://hbr.org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape-strategy) (2008 reformulation of 1979 paper) by Michael Porter - [Strategies for two-sided markets](https://hbr.org/2006/10/strategies-for-two-sided-markets) (2006) by Tom Eisenmann, Geoffrey Parker, and Marshall Van Alstyne — *As a reminder: none of the following is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information — including a link to a list of our investments.* --- Source: [Network Effects, Moats, & the Business of web3](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/network-effects-moats-the-business-of-web3) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts