1-9-90 Rule (online engagement)

Biological Parallel

In honeybee colonies, 1% are scouts discovering new resources, 9% are recruiters performing waggle dances to share information, and 90% are foragers executing on communicated directions. This asymmetric division isn't oppression—it's optimization. Scouting is high-risk, high-cost exploration; recruiting requires spatial memory and communication skills; foraging is metabolically efficient but cognitively simple. The 1/9/90 distribution maximizes colony energy intake given the different cognitive and metabolic costs of each role, creating a Nash equilibrium where role-switching reduces overall fitness.