At university, I became obsessed with the Pareto principle — the 80/20 rule. The idea that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

It stuck with me. And it shows up everywhere.

Today, 76% of Vinyl Deli’s new members come from just 26% of our advertising spend.

Nearly 80% of revenue at my other company comes from just 19% of the active customer base.

Meanwhile, 87% of the problems come from just 17% of the orders — and if you zoom in further, it’s only 1% of customers causing real headaches.

That got me thinking. Maybe there’s another principle at play. Call it the Brace Rule. Or the Jordan Jinx. (We can workshop the name.)

99% of problems come from 1% of people.

I’m lucky. Both businesses are blessed with truly brilliant customers — the kind of people you want to build things for.

But the loudest voices often belong to the smallest group.

For a long time, I tried to follow the old mantra: “The customer is always right.” But the original quote, the one people forget, is sharper:

“The customer is always right, in matters of taste.”

It doesn’t mean every demand must be met.

It doesn’t mean businesses should grovel at the feet of bad actors.

And I’ve learned (painfully at times) that you can’t build a business by catering to the loudest 1%.

Anyone who shows disrespect to my team, to me, or to the principles that keep the business moving forward — they’re barred. Quickly, and without apology.

We don’t want their money. We don’t want their noise.

Saying no isn’t easy. It never feels easy.

But it’s not just a policy. It’s protection — for the team, for the mission, for the people we’re building this for.

Because momentum matters. And in a bootstrapped business, standing still isn’t an option.

Does that mean we’re innocent when things go wrong?

Of course not.

I hold the business accountable. I hold myself accountable. And when we mess up, we say sorry. But our time and our energy belongs to the 99% who make this journey worth it.

Not the 1% who try to derail it.

Still, it’s not always easy to detach emotionally. The 1% feel louder than they are.

To the 99%: as always, I thank you.

– Jordan