No. 348 · Fixing problems · Economics
Tipping Point
Pressure builds quietly for a long time, then change arrives all at once.
In the Almanac
“The Montgomery bus boycott”, 1955–1956 · “Pokémon Go”, 2016
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Tipping Point?
A Tipping Point is the moment when an idea, product or behavior stops growing gradually and starts spreading fast, often under its own momentum. Before it, effort seems wasted. After it, change can feel unstoppable.
How do you use Tipping Point?
Use it to stay patient through slow beginnings in your career, savings and habits, and to look for the small push, or the first few allies, that could tip things your way. Just remember tipping points are easier to see in hindsight.
When does Tipping Point matter?
Tipping Point is one of the 40 mental models for fixing problems, the situations where you ask: Why does this keep going wrong, and how do I fix it for good? Within that, it belongs to “How problems spread”, alongside Broken Windows Theory, Chain Reaction and Containment.
What is an example of Tipping Point?
Two stories show it at work: The Montgomery bus boycott (1955–1956) and Pokémon Go (2016). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Tipping Point?
Social Proof, S-Curves and Network Effects. Tipping Point itself comes from economics.