Andrew Chen's Lecture 3: You cannot fix bad retention — ideas before tools
richardreis · x · 2026-10-16
a16z's Andrew Chen teams up with Richard Reis for Lecture 3 on finding startup ideas worth building, around the 'Proven Better New' framework.
Key claim: after staring at thousands of retention curves, Chen argues 'you cannot fix bad retention' — the idea comes first, the tools second. Topics include why Google+ couldn't manufacture desire, two clues for finding ideas, the focus group of one, Zynga Poker as a case study, and homework exercises (Mental Math Pro, BetterLink). Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and in written form.
Related event: Andrew Chen's Startup Lecture 3: Ideas Before Tools(2 posts)→
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