Review
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell
New ideas behave like viruses. They are contagious, they are affected by small changes, and they move from isolated occurrences to epidemics quickly.
According to Gladwell, the concept of the Tipping Point is the best way to understand an epidemic. The Tipping Point is that place on any graph where the line suddenly turns downward and the events that happen to bring an epidemic to that point are the same whether the graph represents a disease, a crime wave, consumer products, or new ideas.
There are 3 Rules of Epidemics:
1. Law of the Few
This is the 80/20 principle, which is that 80 percent of the work is done by only 20 percent of the participants. In an epidemic, a very small group of people is responsible for the spread.
2. Stickiness Factor
In order for something to become an epidemic it must stick. A disease must stay with the victim, an idea must be memorable. Without stickiness, the event passes into obscurity.
3. Power of Context
This is the environmental element of epidemics. The conditions must be right for the virus to flourish and spread. If anything is out of place, there is no epidemic.
Malcolm Gladwell guides you through these concepts brilliantly, drawing from a broad spectrum of supporting evidence. His examples range from Paul Revere's ride to the phenomenal growth of one company's athletic shoes. Each of these events were epidemics and each followed the 3 Rules.
Do you want your business to spread like an epidemic?