The network effect - Drawing from Oliver Emberton's article

In 2014, Oliver Emberton wrote one great article that I think everyone should read.  I read it twice, shared it on Facebook, and I have read it again.  

If I can summarize it in one sentence: “success is a network effect, you get rewarded for the number of people you impact, and not how good you are”.
 A footballer is more popular in Kenya than a Judo champion because football is watched by many people in Kenya than Judo. If you are a Judo player, you may think life is not fair, but in real sense, it is just that your art doesn’t excite many people. So the secret  is to offer a service or product that is used by millions of people.  

 A good example of success as a result of a network effect is the sportpesa company in Kenya.  Sportpesa is a betting company that has recorded good success in Kenya. Their success comes from the fact that millions of Kenyans are betting on their platform.

Oliver Emberton's article  has one insightful advice for great thinkers; you don’t get rewarded for your ideas, but for what you do or accomplish. An idea is just an idea, people might give you a nod of approval when you enthusiastically explain it to them, but reward comes only after you turn the idea into a product that has value to many people. Again if I may use the example of sportpesa, it was a profitable idea, but only started making money to the founders when they rolled it out.

Please do take time to read the article by Oliver Emberton, find it here.