To overcome the cold start problem in a network effects business, especially in a conservative industry like finance, a powerful strategy is to create a coalition or consortium model. By giving early adopters ownership and governance rights, you align incentives, build trust, and transform would-be competitors into enthusiastic evangelists for the new network.

Contrary to the expectation of fierce rivalry, startups in crowded spaces like voice AI within the same YC batch often form collaborative groups. They share learnings on common technical hurdles, turning potential competition into a support system.

Oshkosh structures partnerships to own IP developed jointly with a startup, then licenses it back. This approach, outlined in the initial NDA, gives the large corporation control over patent defense while providing the startup with usage rights, often with market-specific limitations.

AI favors incumbents more than startups. While everyone builds on similar models, true network effects come from proprietary data and consumer distribution, both of which incumbents own. Startups are left with narrow problems, but high-quality incumbents are moving fast enough to capture these opportunities.

The narrative of startups "destroying" incumbents is often wrong. As shown by MongoDB coexisting with Oracle and HubSpot with Salesforce, disruptive companies can create massive value by expanding the total market, allowing both new and old players to grow simultaneously.

A major market opportunity exists when one side of an industry (e.g., insurance companies) adopts new technology like AI faster than its counterpart (e.g., hospitals). Startups can succeed by building tools that close this technology gap, effectively 'arming the rebels' and leveling the playing field.

Responding to Wall Street pressure to de-risk, large pharmaceutical firms cut internal early-stage research. This led to an exodus of talent and the rise of contract research organizations (CROs), creating an infrastructure that, like cloud computing for tech, lowered the barrier for new biotech startups.

Dominant aggregator platforms are often misjudged as being vulnerable to technological disruption (e.g., Uber vs. robo-taxis). Their real strength lies in their network, allowing them to integrate and offer new technologies from various providers, thus becoming beneficiaries rather than victims of innovation.

The go-to-market strategy for defense startups has evolved. While the first wave (e.g., Anduril) had to compete directly with incumbents, the 'Defense 2.0' cohort can grow much faster. They act as suppliers and partners to legacy prime contractors, who are now actively seeking to integrate their advanced technology.