A small group of people can reshape an entire system.
Nassim Taleb coined the term Intransigent Minority to describe the
phenomenon.
When the cost of acquiring that group is low, the rest of the population is indifferent, and that group is stubborn enough to stand on what they believe, the system bends.
His go-to example is kosher food.
Fewer than 0.5% of Americans follow kosher rules, yet a huge portion of the grocery store is certified. Observant Jews won’t touch non-kosher food, but most people don’t think twice about it. So if you run a factory, it’s easier to make everything kosher than split your product line. One group has strict requirements. The other is flexible. That’s enough to tip the entire system.
I’m seeing something similar with bitcoin businesses. The pressure here isn’t negative or rooted in avoidance. It’s completely positive.
What I do see is a sharp rise in demand for products and services from companies that accept bitcoin alongside the dollar. Whether bitcoiners use it as a medium of exchange or not, it’s clear that having that option is good for business.
This pattern has been clear to me ever since bitcoiners started buying my wine, but my scale is small. Since then, I’ve watched everything from cottage producers to large ranching operations benefit from the same magnetic pull. Steak n’ Shake, with over 450 locations, is just the next evolution.
If a bitcoiner is getting a burger, Steak n’ Shake just jumped to the top of their list. They’ve already gained the attention of a group that punches above its weight. Time will tell how much we impact their business.
Bitcoiners’ impact doesn’t come from protest. It shows up as positive reinforcement. The Magnetic Minority rewards alignment and that reward is scaling.
Taleb gave us the template.
We’re writing our own story.
