Don't be fooled by services offering everything for free; there is no such thing has a free lunch. Users might not spend money using a service, but they are offering a scarce resource to be there: time. Startups building the next big thing, must be aware of how to court a users attention.

Live by one rule: "there are at-least five others doing the exact same thing, they are further along, and smarter".

How do you differentiate yourself? How do you gain a users attention?

Regardless of what is being built; the objective is to grab a users attention. How can a user be compelled to look at your offering. How can a user understand your unique abilities, and be convinced to return?

Not simple questions with universal answers, but they should be asked along the path to success. If you have the right answers, strong enough to hold up to scrutiny, just don't forget to ask: how will you monetize?