The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen examines the complex nature of network effects in the technology industry, exploring how they impact the launch, growth, and eventual success or failure of networked products. Chen proposes a five-stage framework to explain this phenomenon, starting with the Cold Start Problem that most new networks face and concluding with the competitive landscape of the Moat. He uses case studies of various tech companies, from Uber and Airbnb to Wikipedia and YouTube, to illustrate how these principles play out in the real world.