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Study led by TU Darmstadt shows: Onboarding feature acts as a network booster
A new international study led by the Technical University of Darmstadt reveals how an inconspicuous feature of the social media platform Bluesky has accelerated its growth to over 30 million members "Starter Packs" —user-created recommendation lists that new members can follow with a single click—facilitate onboarding and strengthen networking. The findings were presented at the prestigious ICWSM 2025 conference in Copenhagen.
Over a period of eight months, "Starter Packs" contributed to approximately 20 percent of all subsequent actions on the platform, at times reaching as high as 43 percent . Users included in these packs gained an average of 85 percent more followers and showed 60 percent more activity .
Solution for the "Cold Start" problem
Bluesky thus succeeded in overcoming a key obstacle to new social platforms: the so-called "cold start" problem , in which new members initially have no content or social connections. The study, which researchers TU Darmstadt Lancaster University , City St George's, the University of London , and other British universities, sees "starter packs" as a promising concept for designing new digital spaces.
“Our results show that targeted recommendation design can be crucial for the growth and quality of networks,” explains Dr. Onur Ascigil , Principal Investigator of the study. Leonhard Balduf , first author and researcher at TU Darmstadt, also emphasizes: “For the first time, we were able to comprehensively analyze the influence of starter packs on network formation.”
Potentials and risks
However, the study also highlights risks. The lists primarily favored already popular users – which could further exacerbate existing inequalities . Furthermore, the researchers found evidence of potential misuse , such as paid placements or spam.
The most popular “starter packs” formed thematic communities, including those focused on art , politics , gaming , sports and activism – with prominent figures from media and civil society as frequently represented profiles.
The full study, entitled “Bootstrapping Social Networks: Lessons from Bluesky Starter Packs”, is available at https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v19i1.35810 .
(DARMSTADT – RED/TUD)
