Summary: “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.” The Tipping Point, page 7 How did an unknown author end up becoming a bestselling author? What made Sesame Street one of the most popular, and effective, kids educational TV shows in history? And how did Airwalk become the number three footwear brand, behind Nike and Adidas? And I guess, more importantly, why should you even care to know the answers to these questions? Well, as Malcolm Gladwell so intelligently explains in his book, each situation above has one main, and central, piece: The Tipping Point. The Tipping Point is the difference between lighting a spark, and starting an inferno. It’s the difference between Rebecca Wells having 7 people attend her book readings for one book, and 700 people attend for another. It’s the difference between simply occupying kids with television, and actually revolutionizing kids’ educational television with Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street family. It’s the difference between Airwalk’s $16 million in sales in 1993, $44 million in sales 1994, and $150 million in sales in 1995. So it’s worth to not only be aware of The Tipping Point, but to also understand it. After all, I’m sure we all have ideas, products and messages, we want to Tip, as well. And yes, there’s more to it than sharing a link on Facebook or Tweeting about it. Golden Egg The Tipping Point of an Epidemic "The name given to that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once is the Tipping Point.” The Tipping Point, page 9 In order to understand the emergence of television shows, products and fashion trends, or “the transformation of unknown books into bestsellers”, Malcolm suggests that we “think of them as epidemics”. epidemic: a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epidemic Not only are epidemics a result of some form of contagiousness, where little changes can have big effects, but also, and more importantly, epidemics don’t start gradually – they occur dramatically. And it’s that third aspect of an epidemic – the dramatic change; the point at which an epidemic actually becomes an epidemic – that’s called The Tipping Point. Every emerging television show, product, fashion trend and book, has a Tipping Point. “The Tipping Point is the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” The Tipping Point, page 12 But what determines when, and how fast, the idea, product or message, tips? What determines the “tipableness” (my term, not Malcolm’s) of an epidemic? The following GEMs outline the three fundamental areas that determine when, and how, an epidemic tips. “Epidemics are a function of the people who transmit the infectious agents, the infectious agents itself and the environment in which the infectious agent is operating.” The Tipping Point, Page 18 GEM # 1 The Law of the Few: Finding Connectors, Mavens & Salesman “…the success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of the people with a particular and rare set of social gifts.” The Tipping Point, page 33 People play a critical role in tipping an epidemic. But it’s just not anyone. These are people with a “particular and rare set of social gifts.” Malcolm calls them Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. It’s “The Law of The Few”. And a single person can be one, two, or even all three of these “types of people”. Connectors have “a special gift for bringing the world together.” They are the kind of people “who know everyone.” Perhaps the most important trait of a Connector is that they genuinely enjoy connecting with, and keeping in touch, with people. And that’s why they blur the line between acquaintances and friends. They don’t mind taking the time to connect with someone, even if that person isn’t their best friend. As a result, they have a wide circle of friends,
