Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Publishers Weekly describes the book as…

‘The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or “tipping point” is reached, changing the world. Gladwell’s thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors “spread just like viruses do” remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of “word-of-mouth epidemics” triggered with the help of three pivotal types. While it offers a smorgasbord of intriguing snippets summarizing research on topics such as conversational patterns, infants’ crib talk, judging other people’s character, cheating habits in schoolchildren, memory sharing among families or couples, and the dehumanizing effects of prisons, this volume betrays its roots as a series of articles for the New Yorker, where Gladwell is a staff writer: his trendy material feels bloated and insubstantial in book form.’

My notes on what I found to be of particular interest…

Our modern culture means that new ideas are being introduced constantly.
Gladwell asserts that most trends, styles, and phenomena are born and spread according to routes of transmission and conveyance that are strikingly similar.
The tipping point is where isolated incidents become a trend.
The Law of the Few contends that before widespread popularity can be attained, a few key types of people must champion an idea, concept, or product before it can reach the tipping point. There are 3 key types:  Connectors -sociable personalities who bring people together; mavens – who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen – adept at persuading the unenlightened. If individuals representing all three of these groups endorse and advocate a new idea, it is much more likely that it will tip into exponential success.
Mavens are people who have a strong compulsion to help other consumers by helping them make informed decisions.
Salesmen are people whose unusual charisma allows them to be extremely persuasive in inducing others’ buying decisions and behaviors.
Connectors are individuals who have ties in many different realms and act as conduits between them, helping to engender connections, relationships, and “cross-fertilization” that otherwise might not have ever occurred.
The Stickiness Factor as the quality that compels people to pay close, sustained attention to a product, concept, or idea. Stickiness is a unique quality that compels the phenomenon to “stick” in the minds of the public and influence their future behavior. Often, the way that the Stickiness Factor is generated is unconventional, unexpected, and contrary to received wisdom.
The Power of Context is enormously important in determining whether a particular phenomenon will tip into widespread popularity. Even minute changes in the environment can play a major factor.
There are unusual properties tied to the size of social groups. Groups of less than 150 members usually display a level of intimacy, interdependency, and efficiency that begins to dissipate markedly as soon as the group’s size increases over 150.
Focus, Test, Believe.

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