Continuing the thoughts from the past few days, I will further explain the logic of investing in $TON in terms of network effects, business models, and operational mechanism analysis.
Recently, I have been deeply pondering the business models and operational mechanisms within network effects. The primary question is: what exactly is the goal and driving force of a network? I believe that the core advantage of a network lies in maximizing the number of nodes, which is easy to understand.
From a different perspective, the type of nodes is also crucial. One type is an e-commerce network, which can be divided into users and producers (or consumers). In this scenario, there is a game and interactive relationship between both parties, and their relationship growth presents a two-dimensional situation, or in other words, is linear. Clearly, an increase in the number of users will drive the growth of the number of producers, and vice versa. However, there is no direct connection between producers and between consumers, so their dimension is relatively low.
Another type is the I-type network, which does not strictly distinguish between users and consumers. Everyone has dual roles as both producers and consumers, making it a more complex multi-dimensional interactive network, with both its complexity and growth rate being more significant.
In addition, there is a unit-type network, which refers to the relationship between brand owners and consumers. In this network, the brand owner acts as the producer, while there are numerous consumers. The above describes the three types of network structures as I understand them.
Overall, the richer the network structure, the better its operational effectiveness may be.
Based on the analysis of network structures, I will next explore the charging models for network structures. I believe there are mainly three charging models:
Firstly, there is the advertising model. In this model, the platform earns profits by displaying advertisements to users. For example, search engines and platforms like Douyin charge advertisers fees to generate revenue.
Secondly, there is the transaction fee model. Under this model, the platform charges a fee for each transaction at a certain percentage, such as a commission. This is extremely common in the e-commerce field, where the platform earns profits by facilitating transactions.
Thirdly, there is the network-based service model. In this model, the platform develops new services using its own network resources. Taking Amazon as an example, it is not only a trading platform but also offers cloud services and other businesses based on the network. Similarly, JD.com engages in self-operated businesses and uses network data to develop its own products. This model combines network operations with value-added services, creating more profit opportunities.
These three business models each have their own characteristics, but all highlight the important value of network effects in the business field.
