What is the tipping point?

The "tipping point" is a concept that refers to a critical threshold at which a small change can lead to a significant impact, often resulting in a dramatic shift in the system's behavior or condition. It's a moment when something becomes self-sustaining and grows exponentially without further input. Here are two examples of the tipping point discussed in various contexts:

1. Social Movement: In the context of social change, the tipping point occurs when a small, committed group reaches a critical mass, enough to influence the whole population. For instance, research indicates that if a committed minority reaches 25% of a group, it can influence the entire group's behavior or belief system, leading to widespread change 1.

2. Market Saturation: In business, reaching a tipping point might involve achieving a market saturation point where a product or service becomes widely adopted, creating a self-propagating success. This often involves pushing through initial phases of development and marketing that don't scale, until reaching a point where growth becomes easier and self-sustaining 2.

These tipping points illustrate how initial efforts, often unseen or underappreciated, can eventually lead to significant, sometimes sudden changes when a critical threshold is reached.