Social media platforms thrive on network effects—people join because their friends are already there. But this creates a chicken-and-egg problem for new platforms: without an existing user base, there's little reason for anyone to sign up. Even innovative approaches, like restricting posts to friends or relying on viral hooks, often fail to overcome this hurdle. Meanwhile, users are increasingly frustrated by platform lock-in, where their connections and content are trapped within walled gardens like Facebook or Twitter.

Bridging the Social Graph Divide

One way to address this could be by building a platform that integrates multiple open social graphs—like Mastodon's ActivityPub or Bluesky's AT Protocol—instead of creating yet another isolated network. This would allow users to aggregate their connections from different platforms, post across networks simultaneously, and view unified feeds. Unlike temporary workarounds (e.g., TikTok's cross-posting), interoperability would be a core feature, reducing dependence on any single platform's ecosystem.

Who Stands to Benefit?

This approach could appeal to:

• Users tired of fragmented networks, who want to maintain their identities and relationships across platforms.
• Decentralization advocates seeking alternatives to corporate-controlled social media.
• Developers building on open protocols, who would gain access to a larger, interoperable user base.

Existing platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky might also benefit, as increased interoperability could drive adoption of their protocols.

Starting Small and Scaling Up

An MVP could begin as a simple cross-posting tool, letting users publish to Mastodon and Bluesky at once while consolidating replies in one inbox. Later phases might add profile aggregation (e.g., merging followers from multiple platforms) or graph-based discovery features (like showing which contacts are active on both Mastodon and Bluesky). By focusing on open protocols first, the project could avoid reliance on closed APIs that incumbents might restrict.

While challenges like moderation across federated networks or user trust in data aggregation would need to be addressed, the core idea offers a way to rethink social media competition—shifting from ownership of graphs to shared interoperability.