Platforms like TikTok and Instagram now use AI algorithms to show users content they are interested in, regardless of whether they follow the creator. This shift means brands can achieve massive reach without a large following by creating content that strongly appeals to niche interests.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram no longer prioritize followers. Their algorithms, in a trend called 'TikTokification,' now serve content based on user interests. To succeed, brands must create content that taps into specific niches to get discovered, rather than relying on their follower count for reach.

Deleting an app like Instagram for many months causes its algorithm to lose understanding of your interests. Upon returning, the feed is generic and unengaging, creating a natural friction that discourages re-addiction. A short, week-long break, however, triggers aggressive re-engagement tactics from the platform.

TikTok's new 'wellness' features, which reward users for managing screen time, are a form of corporate misdirection. By gamifying self-control, the platform shifts the blame for addiction from its intentionally engaging algorithm to the user's lack of willpower, a tactic compared to giving someone cocaine and then a badge for not using it.

Due to the "TikTokification" of platforms, algorithms now favor a single piece of content's potential to engage anyone, regardless of who created it. This means sticking to a strict niche is no longer required for high views and reach, though it remains important for gaining followers.

Adam Mosseri suggests TikTok's biggest strategic risk is its attempt to replicate the Chinese 'super app' model. While this provides a proven playbook, it may fail in Western markets that prefer focused apps, potentially making TikTok too complex and bloated for users.

The algorithmic shift on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook towards short-form video has leveled the playing field. New creators can gain massive reach with a single viral video, an opportunity not seen in over a decade, akin to the early days of Facebook.

The original moat of platforms like Facebook was the "social graph"—content from friends. The industry-wide shift to algorithmically recommended "unconnected content," pioneered by TikTok, has turned these platforms from active social tools into passive entertainment pipelines.

For a brand like Crocs, achieving top seller status on a trend-driven platform like TikTok is a sign of faddish popularity, which is inherently fragile. Unlike businesses with durable advantages based on physics or infrastructure (like railroads), success on TikTok signals high risk of a rapid decline once trends shift.