Chouinard Equipment

Predecessor to Patagonia, founded by Yvon Chouinard to manufacture climbing gear. The company's 1972 decision to discontinue pitons despite comprising 70% of revenue exemplifies how small effective population size enables values-based decisions that would be impossible in larger organizations.

With fewer than 10 employees, all climbers sharing Chouinard's environmental values, the company introduced aluminum chocks as a clean climbing alternative. This decision succeeded because the effective population size was small enough for values to override profit.