What works so well for TED is that these two user experiences—the ultra-VIP attending the Vancouver conference and the ordinary person sharing one of the talks—rely on a similar set of incentives, just on very different levels. Like the jeweler Tiffany, which can whisk a billionaire upstairs to a private salon to inspect the rarest diamonds while it welcomes selfie-snapping tourists in its lobby showroom, TED is able to offer a select few access to the very top of the market and a little something for everyone else. This bifurcation has largely reinforced the value proposition for both sides.
