- Lindy effect. The Lindy effect suggests that if something (i.e. in this context a business) has endured for a long time, it's likely to continue for an equally long time in the future. This endurance signifies resilience against changes, becoming outdated, or competition, increasing the chances of future survival. Nassim Taleb calls it the distance from the “absorbing barrier” or the extinction barrier. Essentially, under the Lindy effect, the risk of extinction decreases as time progresses.