Evening thoughts on platform design.

Getting eyeballs? Easy. Keeping them engaged season after season? That's the real test.

Most platforms chase that first-click high, then ghost the rest. But what if the game flips? What if you build infrastructure where engagement doesn't fade—it snowballs? Where user retention feeds ecosystem depth, and depth compounds into genuine value creation.

That's the layer some emerging protocols are stacking: moving past viral mechanics into sustainable growth cycles. It's about rewarding long-term participation, not just initial hype. When you nail that flywheel—attention that actually sticks—network effects start multiplying. That's when platforms stop being trendy and become foundational.