Bootstrapping Social Networks: Lessons from Bluesky Starter Packs

Microblogging is a crucial mode of online communication.However, launching a new microblogging platform remainschallenging, largely due to network effects. This has resultedin entrenched (and undesirable) dominance by establishedplayers, such as X/Twitter. To overcome these network ef-fects, Bluesky, an emerging microblogging platform, intro-ducedstarter packs— curated lists of accounts that users canfollow with a single click. We ask if starter packs have the po-tential to tackle the critical problem of social bootstrapping innew online social networks. We assess whether starter packshave indeed been helpful in supporting Bluesky growth. Ourdataset includes25.05×106users and335.42×103starterpacks with1.73×106members, covering the entire lifecycleof Bluesky. We study the usage of these starter packs, theirability to drive network and activity growth, and their poten-tial downsides. We also quantify the benefits of starter packsfor members and creators on user visibility and activity whileidentifying potential challenges. By evaluating starter packs’effectiveness and limitations, we contribute to the broaderdiscourse on platform growth strategies and competitive in-novation in the social media landscape