The dandelion metaphor is also employed as cover art on a book I like called "Contagious: Why Things Catch On." by Jonah Berger.

I find it interesting that this article focuses on what communities will help an idea germinate and eventually go viral, vs. Contagious which focuses on qualities of the information itself that make it spreadable. The former is probably more impactful, but both play a role.

The book ends with a mnemonic summarizing what "steps" an idea should follow to be considered contagious:

[S] - Social currency (does sharing the idea make the "spreader" look good/smart/impressive)

[T] - Triggers (topics that come to mind frequently due to an environmental trigger. Case in point: the song Friday by Rebecca Black gets most of its streams on Fridays)

[E] - Emotion (obviously ideas that evoke an emotional response get more attention)

[P] - Public (whether or not info reaches others depends how public-facing the distribution channel is)

[P] - Practical Value (is the idea useful?)

[S] - Stories (if the format of the information follows a narrative, it sticks more with people and is also easier to retell)