Hello Hello,
I hope you all had a fantastic week and are making great moves. It was an up and down week here at Fusion-42. Here’s the 😇 Good, 😈 Bad and the 🤢 Ugly so we can all learn together.
😇 The Good
⭐️ We got the Telegram community update done this week, many thanks to Laith for helping out and getting it done. I love it, so much clearer, so much easier to navigate and all aligned with our core offerings. All the topics are in the right place now.
⭐️ We also want to welcome Farzeen-Zia to the F42 fam. Farzeen is getting all of our content up on insights, which includes the Raise Interviews, all of the masterclasses and Deepdive podcasts. 🙏🏼
This is a must read, we took all the insights over all the interviews and this is what we found
The GLOBAL SUPER ACCELERATOR is Off to a great Start!
Nearly 100 sign-ups in just 4 days prove we’re not here to mess about. We’re all about execution—delivering real tools and tangible outcomes that cut through the noise and give you serious traction.
Here's a sneak peek at our must-attend build in live workshops:
💯 The 100 Challenge:
Validate real customer pain by engaging with 100 potential users. Don’t build in a vacuum—discover what truly matters. You’ll be held accountable with regular check-ups throughout the programme.✍️ This Is How to Write Your Pitch Deck:
A straight-shooting guide to rise above the noise, debunk the BS, and secure investor meetings. Plus, you’ll get a copy of our book to keep the insights close at hand.📊 Financial Model Building:
Develop a robust, data-backed financial model that proves you know your numbers. In this two-hour session, you'll leave with a model that works for your startup.💰 Fundraising Strategy:
Create a targeted plan to connect with the right investors at the right time, ensuring you pitch to those who matter. You’ll also gain access to our ever-growing database of over 400 funds with more than £100b of capital to deploy.
Stay tuned for more updates—this is where execution meets results.
🚀 What build-in-live workshop would you love to see?
Drop your answer in the comments here or in the Global Super Accelerator topic in the community 🙏🏼
😈 The Bad
Since our little flat spot in Feb, community growth has picked up again… and maybe this shouldn’t be in “😈 The Bad” 🤷🏼♂️, but IMO, the same steady rate just isn’t good enough. We should be seeing network effects kick in, with growth accelerating—not just ticking along.
In a strong, founder-led community there should be signs of a Network Effect? every new member should bring in more than one other founder, driving compounding growth. Right now, it looks like we’re just adding at a constant rate—not bad, but not where we need to be. The referral effect isn’t scaling yet.
So here is the reality check and why this is in the “😈 The Bad” …Why Aren’t We Seeing The Network Effect Yet?
Network effects separate fast-growing communities from ones that just trickle along. Here’s the deal:
Direct network effects → Every new member makes the platform more valuable (think WhatsApp—more friends, more value).
Indirect network effects → More users attract better offerings (like Amazon—more sellers = more buyers).
Where’s the Network Effect?
Growth is steady… but it’s not compounding. If network effects were kicking in, we’d see an exponential surge, not just a steady climb. At this rate, I’ll be 127 years old before we hit 50,000 members 😝. Right now, each new founder is bringing in one more—but to really scale, we need each founder bringing in multiple others.
Me again… seems like a habit is forming 😁
So What Are the Right Questions to Ask? (this is something we can all use btw)
1️⃣ Why aren’t more people referring?
Do they not see the value fast enough?
Is it too much effort to invite someone?
Do they just not think about it?
2️⃣ What would make inviting others a no-brainer?
More tools and resources they can instantly use?
Recognition—badges, leaderboard, “OG” status?
💰 Actual financial incentives? (Referral bonuses, affiliate commissions, utility token)
3️⃣ Are we missing an obvious viral loop?
Should referrals unlock something special?
Should we gamify it—streaks, milestones, rewards?
Are there natural points where people want to share (wins, insights, intros)?
Let’s hear it from you 👇
Vote below or drop a reply—let’s crack this together. 🚀
🤢 The Ugly
Well 🤢 you can GFY this week—it’s been a really good one. But let’s be real, we need to see some real network effect kicking in. No passengers. Let’s run this invite experiment—bring in 2 founders this week and let’s break the plateau.
Cheers,
Enjoy and hope to see you soon.
If you have not joined the Fusion42 Community on Telegram —
it is probably time to do so.
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Get the calendar here.
For the ❤️ of startups
✌🏼 & 💙
Derek
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