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Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES:Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES:Doggerel: Poems, by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025).“The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear,” by Adam Iscoe (The New Yorker, 2023).The Voltage Effect, by John List (2022).“If We Truly Believe in Redemption and Second Chances, Parole Should Be Celebrated,” by Reginald Dwayne Betts (The Washington Post, 2021).Insurrections, by Rion Scott (2016).The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore (2014).Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig (1974).The Black Poets, by Dudley Randall (1971).“For Freckle-Faced Gerald,” by Etheridge Knight (Poems from Prison, 1968).Felon: An America Washi Tale, by Reginald Dwayne Betts.Freedom Reads. EXTRAS:“Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“The Price of Doing Business with John List,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
Read by Example is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support this space, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.On Monday, December 19, Debra Crouch and I spoke with Isobel Stevenson.Isobel is the author of The Coaching Letter, a newsletter that is about “organizational culture and intelligent failure”. She is also the author of multiple books, including Making Coaching Matter: Leading Continuous Improvement in Schools, with Sarah Woulfin and Kerry Lord (Teachers College Press, 2023).In our conversation we explored a number of questions around continuous school improvement, including:* You promote “intelligent failure” as an organizational disposition, where teachers and leaders are intentionally making mistakes. This feels counter to most school cultures. What conditions need to exist for this to be a reality?* Is a “culture of coaching” the answer to the problem of the status quo? If not, what else?* If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about schools as they currently are, what would it be?Listeners will walk away with a better appreciation for the complexities of school improvement, along with clear action steps for engaging in this work.Take care,MattWhat we are reading* Isobel listed several favorite professional titles, including The Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson, Being Wrong by Kathryn Schultz, The Voltage Effect by John List, and Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales.* Debra enjoyed The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. She shared the following quote from this novel: “Fiction is the great lie that tells the truth about how the world lives.”* Matt is planning to start The Reformatory by Tananarive Due soon, a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Horror (2023). * Isobel just posted her December edition of her newsletter, in which she shares more about the instructional design practice of “co-developing recipes—which are NOT the same as checklists or scripts”.* For more information on continuous school improvement, check out my conversation with Isobel's co-author Sarah Woulfin along with Rachael Gabriel. Take care, MattP.S. No post/newsletter next week -
"How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale"
How do we think about innovation? And then, how do we scale it? Matt Holford is a Senior Director of Engineering at Etsy and a technology leader who's had quite a storied career working as a musician and in various creative digital service agencies.As such, he has a unique perspective on how to frame scaling innovation.How do we give staff the space for idea generation? And then, how do we validate and implement new ideas at a company level? For Matt, opening the door for product innovation means being able to have pockets of creative conversation in high-pressure situations.It's about having the right expectation of bandwidth to take on new ideas – something that is completely distinct from how good the new idea may be.Setting goals at the right altitude is also important in today's tough economy. You can set big-level innovation goals that then cascade down to each individual team, but those teams may then feel robbed of the permission to innovate themselves. Looking at innovation through the prisms of the individual, the team, and the organization is one of the creative ways that Matt is coming up with new idea-generation methods. Please join us in this fascinating conversation about the cadence and scalability of innovation. "The context matters so much in terms of how willing people are to think about technology and engineering as a creative practice." ~ Matt HolfordIn This Episode:- Appreciating how Matt's career has informed his understanding of product development- How do you take on board engineer ideas while satisfying stakeholder interest?- Understanding the practice of generating ideas both inside and outside the business - How comfortable is Matt with 'throwaway ideas'?- How do we scale innovation in today's tough economy? - Seeing the time required for idea generation as a sliding scale - What is the right cadence for idea generation? And more!Resources:- Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters - https://www.amazon.com/Ideaflow-Only-Business-Metric-Matters/dp/0593420586- Creative Strategy Generation - https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Strategy-Generation-Creativity-Strategies/dp/0071850112#customerReviews- Thinking in Bets - https://www.annieduke.com/books/- The Voltage Effect - https://www.thevoltageeffect.com/Connect with Matt Holford:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattholford/?trk=public-profile-join-pageConnect with Debbie Madden:- Website -
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
On the eve of the 300th episode of The Brainy Business, it felt like the perfect time to do a “best of” episode from the first five years of the show (another milestone we are just a couple of weeks away from!). How do we find out the “top” content around here? Thankfully, I don't have to choose (each episode is like one of my babies), and, we don't even have to ask. You have been voting every day for the last five years as you have chosen which episodes to listen to. And, in these five years, you have cast 904,605 “votes” that made it into the final tally that created this Top 20 list. Thank you to everyone in the more than 170 countries who have listened to, rated, reviewed, subscribed to, and shared The Brainy Business podcast over the last five years. We wouldn't still be here if it weren't for you – please keep it up (and we plan to too!) In this episode: Delve into the psychology behind consumer decision-making and its impact on businesses. Reinforce your learning by revisiting earlier podcast episodes and mining hidden gems. Embrace the concept of continuous improvement by experimenting and testing new ideas. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Celebrating the First 5 Years, In this episode, host Melina Palmer celebrates The Brainy Business podcast's 299th episode and the first five years of the podcast. She shares that upcoming new episodes include an interview with Jonah Berger (301) to kick off the next hundred, as well as the five-year anniversary episode and data visualization designer Sarah K. Miller (303), who created an amazing piece of data art to commemorate the top downloads for the first five years. 00:02:00 - Top 20 Most Downloaded Episodes, Melina shares that 904,605 votes from over 170 countries were cast for the top downloaded episodes – so cool! She then goes on to list the top 20 most downloaded episodes, starting with The Voltage Effect, by John List. Other top episode guests from 11-20 include Kurt Nelson, Troy Campbell, Eric Johnson, Prince Ghuman, and Katelyn Bourgoin. Not to mention, several solo episodes from Melina, like the one on the behavioral economics of Starbucks. 00:09:47 - How to Create Remarkable Experiences with Dan Gingiss, Melina talks about the 13th most downloaded episode of all time, episode 185, with Dan Gingis. They discuss his book The Experience Maker and how to create great experiences using his WISER methodology. 00:12:00 - How to Successfully Pitch Your Business, Melina shares her tips on great pitches in the 11th most downloaded episode of all time, episode 177. She also mentions that if listeners are interested in consulting or improving their pitches, they can book a strategy session or send her an email. 00:13:33 - How to Make Online Courses People Enjoy with Chris Rawlinson, Melina talks about the 10th most downloaded episode of all time, the shocking completion stats for most courses, and how 42 Courses have exceeded all expectations. In this episode, founder Chris Rawlinson shares his tips for creating awesome online courses that people actually complete (and enjoy). 00:17:23 - You Love Influence, Three episodes from specialists in the area of influence, including Vanessa Bohns (You Have More Influence Than You Think), Yale Professor Zoe Chance (Influence Is Your Superpower), and, Robert Cialdini (Influence) all made the top 10. Where specifically did they land and what are some of Melina's favorite insights from these episodes? Give it a listen. 00:21:06 - The Paradox of Choice, Episode 171 focused on the work of Barry Schwartz and how more choices can often lead to overwhelm and a tendency to choose nothing. People are less likely to buy when there are too many choices, so it's important to make it easier for them to choose. This is the 5th most downloaded episode of all time. 00:22:16 - The Dunning Kruger Effect, Episode 198 (refreshed as episode 266) discussed the interesting relationship between confidence and competence and how when we know very little about something (low competence) we have ridiculously high confidence. Once we get more competence and start to see all that we don't know, confidence tanks. This was the 4th most downloaded episode of all time. 00:24:49 - Get It Done, Based on the work of Ayelet Fishback, episode 186 gives tips and insights into the science of motivation to help you complete your goals and get more of the right things done. It's about setting the right goals in the right way and avoiding the relentless pursuit of goals that can sometimes come at our own detriment. Congratulations to Ayelet on the interview with the most downloads ever and the 3rd most-downloaded episode of The Brainy Business podcast! 00:27:01 - The Top Two, Are The First Two, The first two episodes have been the two most downloaded from the beginning. Melina explains why she thinks this is, and some of what you will find in those episodes. 00:32:54 - Recap of the Top 20 Episodes, Get the full list of the 20 most downloaded episodes of all time, so you can add them to your listening queue! 00:33:37 - Thank You, Melina expresses gratitude to all listeners for making the first five years of The Brainy Business podcast a success beyond anything imagined. She also teases new projects coming soon and encourages listeners to sign up for the newsletter/connect on social media to be the first to know. 00:34:31 - Conclusion, Melina's top insights from the conversation. What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books. Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Get It Done, by Ayelet Fishbach Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz Influence, by Robert Cialdini Influence is Your Superpower, by Zoe Chance You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns Top Recommended Next Episode: Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain (ep 1) Already Heard That One? Try These: The Voltage Effect, w/ John List (ep 190) Motivation & Incentives at Work, w/ Kurt Nelson (ep 187) The Science of Cool, w/ Troy Campbell (ep 169) The Elements of Choice, w/ Eric Johnson (ep 174) Starbucks: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 278) Why We Like the Things We Like, w/ Prince Ghuman (ep 172) Creating Content People Can't Help but Engage with, w/ Katelyn Bourgoin (ep 201) How To Create Remarkable Experiences, w/ Dan Gingiss (ep 185) The Truth About Pricing (ep 5) How To Successfully Pitch Your Business (ep 177) How to Make Online Courses People Enjoy (& Complete!) w/ Chris Rawlinson (ep 193) Amazon: Behavioral Economics Analysis (ep 159) You Have More Influence Than You Think w/ Vanessa Bohns (ep 197) Influence Is Your Superpower, w/ Zoe Chance (ep 189) Influence, w/ Robert Cialdini (ep 157) The Paradox of Choice (ep 171) The Dunning Kruger Effect (ep 266) Get It Done, w/ Ayelet Fishbach (ep 186) The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make (ep 2) Other Important Links: Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
You had an idea for say, a product or service. You created it and rolled it out to a small target group. It worked - a success! It's now time to expand, to unleash it onto the world. How do you make sure it continues to be a success? This is the question John A. List sets out to answer in his book, The Voltage Effect. In this book club episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma is joined by Owen and Ross Dickie to get to grips with List's suggestions for successful scaling. We discussed: the avoidable errors that lead to “voltage drops” the actions that promote “voltage gains” i.e., successful scaling what these mean for L&D professionals. In ‘What I Learned this Week', Owen described how he set a goal and trained for the Etape Caledonia 2023. You can find out more about next year's event here: https://limelightsports.club/event/etape-caledonia-2024 Ross told a story about a cunning negotiation concerning an image on Theodore Roosevelt's campaign poster. Here's an article about it: https://wheeler.substack.com/p/update-teddy-roosevelt-the-secret Gemma was astounded to learn of the number of teeth all dogs have. She found this information on this site: https://www.petvaxah.com/site/blog/2022/07/15/dog-teeth For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtoolsbusiness.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work. Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with our speakers on Twitter: · Gemma Towersey – @GemmaTowersey · Ross Dickie – @RossDickieMT · Owen Ferguson – @owenferguson
I am joined by John A. List, a renowned experimental economist and bestselling author, who is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago and the Chief Economist at Walmart. We discuss his new book “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale.” In This Episode, John A. List and I Discuss His Latest Book, The Voltage Effect. In this episode, John A. List and I discuss scaling and how the meaning behind this buzzword goes deeper than just growing your following online. Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://passionstruck.com/john-a-list-on-the-voltage-effect/ Brought to you by Green Chef. Use code passionstruck60 to get $60 off, plus free shipping!” Brought to you by Indeed. Head to https://www.indeed.com/passionstruck, where you can receive a $75 credit to attract, interview, and hire in one place. Brought to you by Fabric by Gerber Life: Got to meet fabric dot com slash passion --► For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to: https://passionstruck.com/deals/ Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! --► Prefer to watch this interview: https://youtu.be/-yutHqpncTA --► Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnRMiles Want to find your purpose in life? I provide my six simple steps to achieving it - passionstruck.com/5-simple-steps-to-find-your-passion-in-life/ Want to hear all our episodes from Top Behavior Scientists: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7D1rzGkCDxDWliRUij8Ehz?si=7caa3db29e514272 Want to hear my best interviews from 2022? Check out episode 233 on intentional greatness and episode 234 on intentional behavior change. ===== FOLLOW ON THE SOCIALS ===== * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passion_struck_podcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrmiles.c0m Learn more about John: https://johnrmiles.com/
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
In today's conversation, I am joined by Richard Shotton. His first book, The Choice Factory, is a best-selling book on how to apply findings from behavioral science to advertising. His new book, The Illusion of Choice: 16 ½ Psychological Biases that Influence Why We Buy, is a phenomenal add to what he has already contributed to the field of behavioral science. This book (and conversation!) are both full of great examples from traditional academic research and from practical application. And, one of my favorite things that Richard does is take research and recreate it. Sometimes it replicates (and does even better than expected) and sometimes it doesn't – whatever the results, they are shared and there are learnings for everyone involved. And, of course, that includes you. Does precision matter? Should you speak in abstract or concrete terms? Tune in and get ready for these amazing lessons and many more… Show Notes: [00:43] In today's conversation, I am joined by Richard Shotton. Richard is the author of The Choice Factory, a best-selling book on how to apply behavioral science to advertising. [02:42] Richard shares himself, his background, and the work he does in behavioral science. [04:06] There are thousands of biases. He covers 25 in The Choice Factory. His new book covers 16 and ½ more. (The half chapter is around the power of precision.) [06:51] Precision is powerful. Generally if someone knows the subject they speak in precision, if not they speak in generalities. [09:30] The precise price tends to be seen as lower than rounded ones. [11:52] If you want to change behavior, remove friction. If you want to boost appreciation of your product, you might want to add some friction. [13:10] The importance of framing the question is key if you are going to use behavioral science practically. [15:42] You have this huge swing in memorability based on whether terms are concrete or abstract. If we can picture a term it becomes very sticky if not it becomes forgettable. [18:02] Increasingly brands talk in abstract terms. It is ineffective to use that language. If you want to communicate one of those abstract objectives you have to translate it into more concrete terminology. [20:43] Academics sometimes make behavioral science more complex than it has to be. Reading modern academic papers is a chore. [22:41] The evidence shows that if you communicate simply you come across as more prestigious and more intelligent. [25:50] People were twice as likely to remember the rhyming than the non rhyming phrases. Alliterating phrases have a boost of believability and memorability. [28:06] We have to make sure that what we do is what our clients want us to do rather than worrying about the kudos that we as individuals get. [30:19] The cafe had a problem that people didn't want to go on a Monday. So if you go on Monday you get to roll the brass dice. If you roll a six everything you have eaten is free. (Love this!) [33:27] If you know that this is the thing on Monday, everyone is going to order a little bit more because they might get it all for free. [36:01] People are not only interested in maximizing the financial benefit of the situation. They also wanted to know that they are being treated well and not being taken advantage of. [38:35] Questions are so important. Questions can give people a pause for thought and influence them more subtly. [41:12] Professionals are just as influenced as consumers with the vast majority of biases. The only difference is they are even more loathe to admit it. [42:43] Podcasts and books are a wonderful way of quickly understanding lots of different experiments. The ones you think are most interesting are worth finding the original paper and exploring further. [44:53] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books. Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: The Choice Factory, by Richard Shotton The illusion of Choice, by Richard Shotton Alchemy, by Rory Sutherland Friction, by Roger Dooley Sludge, by Cass Sunstein Connect with Richard: Richard's Website Richard on Twitter Top Recommended Next Episode: Friction, with Roger Dooley (ep 274) Already Heard That One? Try These: Herding (ep 19) Status Quo Bias (ep 142) The Voltage Effect with John List (ep 190) What Problem are You Solving? (ep 126) Sludge: What It Is and How to Reduce It (ep 179) IKEA Effect & Effort Heuristic (ep 112) Habits (ep 21) Framing (ep 16) The Sense of Sight (ep 24) Get Your D.O.S.E. of Brain Chemicals (ep 123) Inequity Aversion: That's Not Fair! (ep 224) Unlocking the Power of Numbers (ep 17) Relativity (ep 12) Peak-End Rule (ep 97) Social Proof (ep 87) Other Important Links: Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Schindler Precision Dynamic Pricing in a Labor Market: Surge Pricing and Flexible Work on the Uber Platform
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Uri Gneezy. Uri's research focus is on putting behavioral economics to work in the real world, where theory can meet application. He is looking for basic research as well as more applied approaches to topics like incentives-based interventions to increase good habits and decrease bad ones, Pay-What-You-Want pricing, and the detrimental effects of small and large incentives. In addition to the traditional laboratory and field studies, he currently works with several firms conducting experiments which use basic findings from behavioral economics to help companies achieve their traditional goals in nontraditional ways. You may be familiar with Uri's name because he coauthored the wildly popular book, The Why Axis with John List, who was on the show last year talking about his book The Voltage Effect. I have a feeling you're going to really enjoy this conversation as it is about a topic people in business are thinking, talking and asking about all the time: incentives. Most specifically, Uri talks about what happens when we mix our messages (it happens a lot more often than you realize) and how that impacts behavior. There are tons of fascinating and practical examples in the book, and we will talk about a few of them today in the episode. Show Notes: [00:42] In today's conversation, I am joined by Dr. Uri Gneezy. Uri's research puts behavioral economics to work in the real world where theory can meet applications. [03:15] Uri shares his background and the work he does in behavioral science. He is a behavioral economist and most of his work is around how incentives really work and how they can change the world. [05:19] When you give the incentives it is not just the money, reward, or recognition that you give, you are also sending a message and telling a story. If you don't really understand how the incentive can shape or change the story you might send the wrong message. [07:03] Incentives are not good, wrong, or bad. It really depends on how you use them. [09:25] By changing the incentives from money to an item like a mug or pen you change the message that supports the signal that you want to send. [11:45] Uri shares about research around donating blood. [14:01] In the late '90s hybrid cars started to pop up. Toyota won the market with the signal they sent. [16:39] Different incentives work on different people. The incentives don't have to apply to everyone. [18:25] The role of incentives should be to push the story in the direction you want. Incentives are going to change the story. [21:27] Quality is much harder to control than value and sometimes it is subjective. How do you incentivize without damaging the quality? [24:30] We really need to be careful about the incentives we give. [27:00] If we want innovation we have to make sure we don't punish failure. [29:59] If you have an incentive in place, try to think about it and see if it really sends the message that you want to send. [30:51] The fact that you tried incentives and they didn't work doesn't mean that incentives don't work. It means that what you tried didn't work and it is time to try something else. [33:26] You need ways to measure your incentives and how they are working. [36:00] He decided to add cartoons to his book because they deliver the message better than just reading a long description and it makes it fun and less boring. [38:48] The Coca-Cola story is a very good example of how the framing of the incentive can give a completely different experience. [40:26] Not all incentives are created equal and you can understand more about them and predict how they will work if you understand the message they are sending. [41:55] Our brains have mental accounts. [44:30] If you find out what your clients care about you can use that to create your incentives. [46:51] The amount of money really sends a signal but gifts send a very different signal and meaning. [49:36] Make incentives simple. If you have many incentives, consolidate them. Make sure you align what you do with the message you want to give. [50:52] Melina's closing thoughts Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books. Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Mixed Signals, by Uri Gneezy The Why Axis, by Uri Gneezy and John List Drive, by Daniel Pink Quit, by Annie Duke Both/And Thinking, by Wendy Smith & Marianne Lewis Connect with Uri: Uri on LinkedIn Uri on Twitter Top Recommended Next Episode: The Voltage Effect with John List (ep 190) Already Heard That One? Try These: Secrets of Motivation and Incentives, Tim Houlihan Interview (ep 109) Motivation and Incentives at Work with Kurt Nelson (ep 187) Incentives (ep 272) Social Proof (ep 87) Cognitive Semiotics and Metaphors with Sarah Thompson (ep 259) Using Semiotics in Retail with Rachel Lawes (ep 191) The Cobra Effect (ep 220) Priming (ep 18) Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, with Annie Duke (ep 227) Both/And Thinking with Dr. Wendy Smith (ep 261) Framing (ep 16) Anchoring and Adjustment (ep 11) Mental Accounting (ep 56) Other Important Links: Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
2022 was a great year for me and The Brainy Business. And, being this is a “best of” episode…here are some of my “best” moments from the year. I traveled to Amsterdam to speak at the fantastic IIEX Europe conference (thank you Greenbook!) and launched my second book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, with an in-person event and book signing. I was honored to be a runner-up in three categories of the Habit Weekly Awards this year and was an honoree on Greenbooks Future List, as well as the ESOMAR Insights250 list. Amazing! I continued teaching and added a class in advanced concepts of behavioral economics to the certificate program, which I'm really proud of and students have really enjoyed. We started testing out a second episode per week. I also got to meet and connect with some amazing people – 46 of them came on the show as guests in 2022 – that meant reading really great books and papers and learning about what is going on in the field, which is one of my favorite aspects of the work I do. I'm so lucky and honored for this life and love every minute of it and am so excited for the books and episodes coming in 2023! BUT before we get fully moving forward into the future, we have to look back and celebrate the best of 2022. Show Notes: [00:45] 2022 was a great year for me and The Brainy Business. And, being this is a “best of” episode…here are some of my “best” moments and memories from the year. [03:33] I also got to meet and connect with some amazing people – 46 of them came on the show as guests in 2022. [06:36] Thank you all for listening, subscribing, sharing, connecting on social media, and reaching out to let me know your wins and the behavioral economics concepts you have applied in your own businesses. [07:44] In 2022, the show had more than a quarter of a million downloads from 170 countries. Thank you! [08:29] TOP DOWNLOADS BY COUNTRY - US, UK, Canada, Australia, which have remained in the top 4 pretty much since the podcast started. India is fifth, followed by Germany… and then we get into some new territory! South Africa has moved up to being 7th in the world in 2022. We then have Spain in the number 8 spot followed by Mexico, and for the first time in the top 10 we have Taiwan! [10:08] TOP 10 STATES - Virginia, Massachusetts, Georgia, then Florida is 7, and Ohio holding out the # 6 spot again this year. Washington is in our number 5 spot with New York in number 4 and then Illinois with the third most downloads in 2022! Once again, we continue to have Texas at 2, and California still with the top most downloads of 2022. [12:37] With 249 episodes of content to choose from, we get our top 10 of the year, starting with episode 196 and my interview with Priscilla McKinney of Little Bird Marketing. [14:32] If you are interested in human behavior and having better content that really resonates with people, you are going to love this next one, episode 201 – Creating Content People Can't Help But Engage With, featuring Katelyn Bourgoin, is next on our list. [17:43] We are to number eight, which is episode 192 – AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning, with Manuj Aggarwal. The intersection of human behavior and technology – specifically with AI and Machine Learning, has been a big topic of conversation in the past couple of years. [18:51] That brings us to the 7th most downloaded episode of the year, 190 – The Voltage Effect with John List. [21:06] Next on our list, is 187 – Motivation and Incentives at Work, with Kurt Nelson. [22:28] If you have ever taken or considered creating an online course, you must listen to episode 193 – How to Make Online Courses People Enjoy, with Chris Rawlinson of 42Courses. [23:57] Now, moving on to the fourth most downloaded episode of the year, 197 – You Have More Influence Than You Think, with Vanessa Bohns. [25:22] Yale professor Zoe Chance was on in episode 189 sharing about her fantastic book, Influence Is Your Superpower and that episode is the third most downloaded of the year. [26:52] That brings us to the second most downloaded episode of 2022. Our only non-interview in the top 10! This was episode 198 – The Dunning Kruger Effect. [27:24] Essentially, the Dunning Kruger effect looks at the interesting relationship of confidence and competence, and how when we know very little about something (low competence) we have ridiculously high confidence but once we get a little more competence and we start to see all that we don't know…confidence tanks, and it is a slow build back up to build it back as we learn. [30:06] We've made it to the most downloaded episode of the year. Are you ready? It is…186 – Get It Done, with Ayelet Fishbach! [32:11] Considering this episode is coming out right around the time of “Quitter's Day” which is when most people will have given up their resolutions, it seems like a good time to refresh your motivation by listening to this great episode with Ayelet. [34:08] There is a link to all the books featured on the show this past year right here in the show notes. [36:26] I can't wait to see what 2023 has in store. Right now…I'm most excited about speaking at SXSW which is coming up in Austin in March. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books. Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Get It Done, by Ayelet Fishbach Influence Is Your Superpower, by Zoe Chance You Have More Influence Than You Think, by Vanessa Bohns The Voltage Effect, by John List What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Top Recommended Next Episode: Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation with Ayelet Fishbach (ep 186) Already Heard That One? Try These: Dunning-Kruger Effect (ep 198) The Cobra Effect (ep 220) Influence Is Your Superpower with Yale's Dr. Zoe Chance (ep 189) You Have More Influence Than You Think, Vanessa Bohns (ep 197) How To Make Online Courses People Enjoy (And Complete) with Chris Rawlinson of 42 Courses (ep 193) Motivation and Incentives at Work with Kurt Nelson (ep 187) The Voltage Effect with John List (ep 190) AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning, & Behavioral Economics with Manuj Aggarwal (ep 192) Creating Content People Can't Help But Engage With featuring Katelyn Bourgoin (ep 201) Anthropology, Market Research & Behavioral Economics with Priscilla McKinney (ep 196) Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, with Annie Duke (ep 227) Using Motivation and Happiness Science to Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever (ep 249) Best of The Brainy Business in 2021 (ep 184) The Best of The Brainy Business in 2020 (ep 133) The Best Content from the Brainy Business in 2019 (ep 82) Other Important Links: Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Best of 2021 Blog Post Best of 2020 Blog Post Best of 2019 Blog Post
EP 1594 Book Review The Voltage Effect ทำไมผลิตภัณฑ์หรือนโยบายบางอย่างถึงกระจายไปในวงกว้าง ในขณะที่บางอย่างถึงไม่สามารถกระจายไปได้ หนังสือเล่มนี้อธิบายปัจจัยต่าง ๆ ที่ทำให้บางสิ่งสามารถกระจายไปในวงกว้างได้ ลองฟัง Review กันได้นะครับ
Diana Suskind is joined by Dr. Dana Suskind & Dana's husband, Dr. John List. Dr. Suskind is a Professor of Surgery at University of Chicago School of Medicine. She has authored two books; Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain in 2015 and most recently, Parent Nation earlier in 2022. Dr. Suskind is Diana Suskind's oldest niece. Dr. List is The Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago and he recently released The Voltage Effect in the summer of 2022. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wnsp/support
Welcome back to The More We Know! The more we know, the more we grow!Your Mentor Today is legendary economist, Professor John List. You are in for one of the best master classes on economics ever! John A. List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. His research includes over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and several published textbooks. Previous to The Voltage Effect, he co-authored the international best seller, The Why Axis, in 2013. He is currently the Chief Economist of one of the largest companies in the world, Walmart. His research focuses on combining field experiments with economic theory to deepen our understanding of the economic science. In the early 1990s, List pioneered field experiments as a methodology for testing behavioral theories and learning about behavioral principles that are shared across different domains. To obtain data for his field experiments, List has made use of several different markets, including charitable fundraising activities, the sports trading card industry, the ride-share industry, and the education sector, to highlight a few. This has lead to collaborative work with several different schools and charities, as well as firms including: Lyft, Uber, United Airlines, Virgin Airlines, Humana, Sears, Kmart, Facebook, Google, General Motors, Tinder, Citadel, Walmart, and several non-profits.John was elected a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society in 2015. List received the 2010 Kenneth Galbraith Award, the 2008 Arrow Prize for Senior Economists for his research in behavioral economics in the field, and was the 2012 Yrjo Jahnsson Lecture Prize recipient. He is a current Editor of the Journal of Political Economy. In November 2014 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Tilburg University. Tilburg University calls him "a true pioneer in experimental field research," whose innovative work has "finally made it possible to test behavioral economic theory in everyday practice...He has raised this research area to a higher level with his originality, expertise, and impact, and he is an inspiration to many." Listen To The More We Know ⇨ https://www.buzzsprout.com/1134704Subscribe ⇨https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxvfd5ddf72Btbck8SdeyBwFollow my Instagram ⇨ https://www.instagram.com/sameer.sawaqed/?hl=enFollow my Twitter ⇨ https://twitter.com/commitwithmeer
On this episode of Bama Means Business, John A. List sits down on the podcast as he returns to Tuscaloosa, catching up with Culverhouse Faculty, and talking about his new book. Throughout the episode, John shares his experience serving both in the White House and in companies as an economist for Uber, Lyft, and Walmart. John also discusses his new book The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale.For more information about the Culverhouse College of Business visit our website https://culverhouse.ua.edu.Stay up to date with the collegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/culverhouseuaTwitter: https://twitter.com/culverhouseuaInstagram: https://instagram.com/culverhouseuaLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/school/culverhouse-college-of-business
In this Original Thinking podcast we will be joined by John List, Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago, who will be discussing his book 'The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale'. The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale The premise behind the Voltage Effect is deceptively simple: No great idea is guaranteed to succeed. Be it a life-saving medical breakthrough, a new policy initiative, a cutting-edge innovation, or a bold plan for building a better world, translating an idea into widespread impact depends on one thing only: whether it can be replicated at scale. Many college students will graduate into the world with a bold idea they hope to scale – whether by starting a company, through social advocacy or non-profit work, in the private sector, or elsewhere. The book draws on John's years of behavioural science research, as well as examples from the realms of business, education, policymaking, and public health to present a data-driven approach to the science of scaling. In it he outlines the five hurdles that must be overcome for an idea to succeed at scale, as well as four research-based strategies to achieve maximum-impact scaling. Topics include: Best experimental design practices to validate an idea (and reduce the risk of false positives)Navigating the supply-side economics of scalingUsing marginal thinking to assess the viability of an enterprise at scalePreventing the negative externalities that may emerge when an idea is implemented on a large scaleUsing behavioral-economic incentives to spur widespread adoption of an idea or increase compliance with a policy or programHow we can apply the principles of scaling to drive change in our schools, communities, companies, and society at large To order the book or download a preview, visit The Voltage Effect. John A. List is the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on combining field experiments with economic theory to deepen our understanding of the economic science. In the early 1990s, List pioneered field experiments as a methodology for testing behavioural theories and learning about behavioural principles that are shared across different domains. To obtain data for his field experiments, List has made use of several different markets, including charitable fundraising activities, the sports trading card industry, the ride-share industry, and the education sector, to highlight a few. This collective research has lead to collaborative work with several different schools and charities, as well as firms including: Lyft, Uber, United Airlines, Virgin Airlines, Humana, Sears, Kmart, Facebook, Google, General Motors, Tinder, Citadel, Walmart and several non-profits. His research includes over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and several published textbooks. He co-authored the international best seller, The Why Axis, in 2013, before releasing The Voltage Effect in February 2022. List was elected a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society in 2015. List received the 2010 Kenneth Galbraith Award, the 2008 Arrow Prize for Senior Economists for his research in behavioural economics in the field, and was the 2012 Yrjo Jahnsson Lecture Prize recipient. He is a current Editor of the Journal of Political Economy The episode will be facilitated by Timothy Devinney, Professor and Chair of International Business at Alliance Manchester Business School.
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
Today is a very exciting day, as it is the last episode before I'm officially a multi-book author, because my second book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You will officially be out and hitting mailboxes on Tuesday, October 11! There is something else very, very exciting kicking off on Tuesday as well, so be sure to stay to the end to hear all about that… In this episode, we are going to do a deep dive into the book. I talk about what you can expect to find within it, why I wrote it, who it is for, and (because this is quite possibly one of the things I get asked about the most these days) some fun insights into the writing process and my tips for you in creating your own content (whether it is a book or something else). Show Notes: [00:39] Today is a very exciting day, as it is the last episode before I'm officially a multi-book author, because my second book, What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You will officially be out and hitting mailboxes on Tuesday, October 11! [02:34] This book has been in the works for a long time, really since episode seven came out of the podcast way back on August 3, 2018. My framework for change has grown and adapted a bit over the years, but even through: creating a 10-week course I teach virtually via the Human Behavior Lab at Texas A&M University, countless speaking engagements and corporate training, and the full process of writing this book…it has really kept its bones. [04:29] What are my secrets for book writing? The first secret is that I'm naturally a good writer and I've spent a lot of time writing and editing all sorts of content from 3-word ads to 70,000 word books and everything in between. I also dedicate the time I need to be able to write. [06:14] My writing is made possible by a very supportive family, especially my husband Aaron. I have dedicated both of my books to him because truly, The Brainy Business and all its content would not be possible without him. [07:38] It isn't all writing every moment of every day, the brain needs breaks. I was able to go on a few jogs by the ocean which was nice and I also had some mindless crafty entertainment. [08:47] Taking the time to let your mind exist and make connections is so so so important when working on content. Building those contemplative moments into your day is really useful. [11:30] You may have heard this one already, but you need to just get stuff out of your head and onto the paper (virtual or otherwise). My process starts with some sort of an outline. I usually do this with software that allows for virtual cards or sticky notes that I can move around. [13:07] Once you have your initial outline I recommend starting with whatever feels the easiest. In my experience, this is NOT the beginning. Whatever that easiest thing is, start there and write anything you can to get it out of your brain. [15:41] I wrote the first book in three months. For book two, I was able to start writing in December of 2021 and the full manuscript was due at the first of February; so only two months this time. [17:27] My process allows for strict priorities and focus in short bursts. This lets me give each thing my all until it is done and then move on to the next. [18:09] Done is better than perfect. Sometimes you have to let things speak to you in the moment and go with where you end up even if it is different than you intended. [21:34] I wrote the book because I could see that this concept of change and understanding biased brains and how they impact our workplace was on the uptick in businesses. I could see that this was going to be critical for businesses moving forward and if I wanted to be on the front end of that wave. [23:39] The book is for people who want to have more influence at work and to make it so change is easier for themselves and everyone around them. [25:01] This book is also set up to help teams of people work together within an organization to get a shared common language and be able to grow together to be better managers that help move a company forward. [26:01] According to Gallup, four out of five current managers do not have the talent required to excel in the job in a way that will help the company and its employees to thrive. [28:16] What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You is here to help every manager—whether they have the natural talent for the role or not—to be excellent at leading their teams through change. If you want to put in the work to be a great manager and are willing to learn and adapt based on the science I present to you in this book, I truly believe you can achieve that goal. [30:11] This book is also segmented into three parts. [31:08] Part 1 is called Big Plans and Micro-Moments and it has four chapters within it. This part is really about understanding our brains, understanding how change works within the brain, understanding what it means to be a great manager, and how to think about change overall. [31:36] Part 2 is called Biases and Concepts. [33:18] We are all biased. We are never going to eliminate that from our lives or organizations. Instead of looking to eliminate bias, companies need to look to understand and leverage it. [36:15] A chapter in this section has one of my favorite openings of the entire book with details of the Challenger disaster and what we can all learn from it. [37:54] The last section of Part 2 is called Us vs. Them and it digs in on all the ways our brains are biased to look at people who are different from us. [38:37] The final part of the book is called Change Framework. This last part of the book brings it all together. [41:30] You can read the first chapter of the book now for free to see if it is a fit for you. [42:52] BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We are going to be having episodes coming out twice a week starting this Tuesday, October 11th! Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books. Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer The Voltage Effect, by John List How Minds Change, by David McRaney How to Change, by Katy Milkman Top Recommended Next Episode: Temptation Bundling (episode 136) Already Heard That One? Try These: Bikeshedding (episode 99) What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You: All About Melina's First Book (episode 147) What is Behavioral Baking (episode 155) How to Organize Your Brain with Behavioral Economics (episode 83) The Voltage Effect with John List (episode 190) Other Important Links: Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter 20 Podcasting Insights and Tips After 200 Episodes of The Brainy Business
A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast with Daniel Ross
My guest today is sports nut, almost pro golfer but primarily Professor at the University of Chicago and Chief Economist at Walmart John List.Just when you thought we were about to dive into the politics of diverging golf tours, instead we're going to turn our attention to ride hailing companies Uber and Lyft, where John was also Chief Economist. What was Travis Kalanick really like to work for?John also recently published ‘The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale' and so we're also discussing how to scale a business and we bring it to life with the story of the failed Jamie's Italian restaurant chain.John's passion is using field experiments to explore economic questions and so our conversation is filled with great stories from John's time in the White House, to rideshare to groceries and even collaboration with DARPA. Show notesWhen fieldwork is needed in scientific discovery to describe the real worldJohn's journey from the White House, Uber, Lyft and now Walmart Chief EconomistBreaking out of silos to make deep cultural impactWorking with DARPA, moonshots and hiring the right teamHow John didn't become a truckerWhat interests John about the subject of scale?What is a voltage effect?The story of Jamie's Italian and a failure to scale: negotiables and non-negotiablesThinking on the margin vs. by the average: applying it in the real world beyond the university campusWhy Logan Green, CEO Lyft, a trained econ major, was leaving dollars on the floorWhy quitting is for winnersScaling culture: Uber vs LyftJohn's hopes for the book: add science to scalingSubscribe for more hereClick here to access rewards to power your brainFollow me on Twitter
Today I talked to John List about his book The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022). Want to go on an exuberant, incisive ride through why so many initiatives flounder and how, conversely, you can increase the odds of success? Then listening to John List will be for you. List takes us through his favorite, highly relevant behavior economic principles: loss aversion, confirmation bias and framing among them. Then this episode digs into why 50 to 90% of initiatives fail to scale. List emphasizes the role that false positives and unscalable ingredients play. As to the secrets of building out an idea, knowing when to quit stands out for reasons worth listening in for. Finally, the importance of scaling a company's culture explains why the gladiatorial culture at Uber wasn't sustainable at scale. John List is a professor of economics at both the University of Chicago and the Australian National University. After being the chief economist at Uber and Lyft, he now holds that role at Walmart. He's also previously been on the Council of Economic Advisers for The White House. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). His newest book is Emotionomics 2.0: The Emotional Dynamics Underlying Key Business Goals. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Today I talked to John List about his book The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022). Want to go on an exuberant, incisive ride through why so many initiatives flounder and how, conversely, you can increase the odds of success? Then listening to John List will be for you. List takes us through his favorite, highly relevant behavior economic principles: loss aversion, confirmation bias and framing among them. Then this episode digs into why 50 to 90% of initiatives fail to scale. List emphasizes the role that false positives and unscalable ingredients play. As to the secrets of building out an idea, knowing when to quit stands out for reasons worth listening in for. Finally, the importance of scaling a company's culture explains why the gladiatorial culture at Uber wasn't sustainable at scale. John List is a professor of economics at both the University of Chicago and the Australian National University. After being the chief economist at Uber and Lyft, he now holds that role at Walmart. He's also previously been on the Council of Economic Advisers for The White House. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). His newest book is Emotionomics 2.0: The Emotional Dynamics Underlying Key Business Goals. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/dan-hills-eq-spotlight
Today I talked to John List about his book The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022). Want to go on an exuberant, incisive ride through why so many initiatives flounder and how, conversely, you can increase the odds of success? Then listening to John List will be for you. List takes us through his favorite, highly relevant behavior economic principles: loss aversion, confirmation bias and framing among them. Then this episode digs into why 50 to 90% of initiatives fail to scale. List emphasizes the role that false positives and unscalable ingredients play. As to the secrets of building out an idea, knowing when to quit stands out for reasons worth listening in for. Finally, the importance of scaling a company's culture explains why the gladiatorial culture at Uber wasn't sustainable at scale. John List is a professor of economics at both the University of Chicago and the Australian National University. After being the chief economist at Uber and Lyft, he now holds that role at Walmart. He's also previously been on the Council of Economic Advisers for The White House. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). His newest book is Emotionomics 2.0: The Emotional Dynamics Underlying Key Business Goals. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
Today I talked to John List about his book The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022). Want to go on an exuberant, incisive ride through why so many initiatives flounder and how, conversely, you can increase the odds of success? Then listening to John List will be for you. List takes us through his favorite, highly relevant behavior economic principles: loss aversion, confirmation bias and framing among them. Then this episode digs into why 50 to 90% of initiatives fail to scale. List emphasizes the role that false positives and unscalable ingredients play. As to the secrets of building out an idea, knowing when to quit stands out for reasons worth listening in for. Finally, the importance of scaling a company's culture explains why the gladiatorial culture at Uber wasn't sustainable at scale. John List is a professor of economics at both the University of Chicago and the Australian National University. After being the chief economist at Uber and Lyft, he now holds that role at Walmart. He's also previously been on the Council of Economic Advisers for The White House. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). His newest book is Emotionomics 2.0: The Emotional Dynamics Underlying Key Business Goals. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Saya membahas buku The Voltage Effect karya John A. List. Buku ini membahas bagaimana ide bagus jadi ide hebat dan ide hebat bisa dijalankan dalam skala yang besar. Ketika punya sebuah ide, kita mungkin mencobanya dengan mengetes pada skala kecil. Ketika hasilnya memuaskan, hal ini mendorong kita untuk melakukannya dalam skala yang lebih besar. Namun sayang, hasilnya malah gagal total. Lho, kok bisa? Karena tidak semua ide bisa direplika dengan skala yang lebih besar. Banyak alasan, misalnya saja, hasilnya terlalu bergantung pada talenta yang hebat, sampel responden yang berbeda dengan gambaran nyata, hingga harganya menjadi semakin mahal ketika dibuat dalam skala yang besar.
This week on the podcast, Matt talks with John List, the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and Chief Economist at Walmart. List walks through his role at Walmart and how his work has the potential to change the world because of Walmart's footprint. They then discuss his experience in working with Lyft and United Airlines on loyalty programs and they finish discussing John's book, The Voltage Effect, and the concept of optimal quitting.
In today's episode, we speak with John A. List, Chief Economist at WalMart and author of “The Voltage Effect.” In this episode we talk about how to make good ideas great, and great ideas scale. John digs in to the common set of attributes that scalable ideas share and provides examples on scaling incentives and culture. This episode was from a conversation previously recorded with many Peterson-backed CEOs and entrepreneurs. The portfolio companies identified and described herein do not represent all of the portfolio companies purchased, sold or recommended for funds advised by Peterson Partners. The reader should not assume that an investment in the portfolio companies identified was or will be profitable. Any opinions, projections, forecasts and estimates contained in this production are necessarily speculative in nature, are based upon certain assumptions, and subject to change without notice. It can be expected that some or all of such assumptions will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. This production is not an offer to buy or sell any investments. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Economist John List of the University of Chicago talks about his book, The Voltage Effect, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. He discusses what determines scalability and argues that the only good ideas that count are those that scale. Along the way, he draws on his experiences as chief economist of Uber and Lyft to peer inside the black box of ride sharing.
Is your business built to scale or built to fail? Michelle Martin dives into her book pick and discusses translating an idea for impact with noted economist, John A List, Author of The Voltage Effect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
B.E. GOOD! Podcast By BVA Nudge Unit - John List: The Voltage Effect by BVA Nudge Unit
Lots of us have good ideas, some even back their ideas up with successful research. So why do these good ideas fail to scale into great, big ideas? John A. List shares the personal example of his highly successful kindergarten reform in South Side Chicago which then didn't scale across the nation. His intrigue into this case led him to pen a phenomenal new book about scalability, “The Voltage Effect”. John A. List, is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago as well as recently becoming the first ever Chief Economist at Walmart. Our conversation with John touches on the ambition he has to change the world for the better in this new role at Walmart. But the primary drive for our chat was to discuss his great new book “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”. Listen in to learn about the concept of scalability and why it is so hard to go from, “the petri dish' (as he puts it) to successful broad scale programs. As is often the case, we round off our episode with a desert island music selection from our guest. And John's very thoughtful consideration of the question yields a top notch selection of musical artists. Don't miss this part of the discussion! Regular listeners to Behavioral Grooves might consider donating to our work through our Patreon page. Or you can also support us by writing a podcast review on your podcast player; doing so helps scale our audience! Topics (6:06) Welcome and speed round questions. (11:03) Why John named his book The Voltage Effect. (13:41) John's involvement in the Chicago Heights Early Childhood (CHECC) school project. (23:05) What biases influence people? (26:29) How Nancy Reagan's good intentions are an example of scaling failure. (30:52) Scaling behavioral science. (39:17) How is John going to change the world as Chief Economist at Walmart? (43:33) How can insights from charity be applied to other sectors? (54:55) John's desert island music selection. (1:04:11) A “High Voltage” Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim. © 2022 Behavioral Grooves Links John A. List's book, “The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale”: https://amzn.to/3a0GOjh “Just Say No” campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No Anna Karenina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina “Stakes Matter in Ultimatum Games” (2011) by Steffen Andersen, Seda Ertaç, Uri Gneezy, Moshe Hoffman and John List: https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/hhscbsnow/2011_5f001.htm George Lowenstein, Episode 67 “George Loewenstein: On a Functional Theory of Boredom”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/george-loewenstein-on-a-functional-theory-of-boredom/ “Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child's Potential, Fulfilling Society's Promise” by Dana Suskind: https://amzn.to/3wD8YIQ Sam Tatam, Episode 295 “For Revolutionary Solutions, Look To Evolutionary Ideas”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/evolutionary-ideas-sam-tatam/ Scott Jeffrey, Episode 3: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/bg-3-scott-jeffrey-phd-monmouth-university/ Thomas Steenburgh, Episode 51: “How to Sell New Products”: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/thomas-steenburgh-how-to-sell-new-products/ To leave Apple podcast review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behavioral-grooves-podcast/id1303870112 To support Behavioral Grooves via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves Musical Links The Beatles “Don't Let Me Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtzkaL2t_Y Freddie Mercury/Queen “These are the Days of Our Lives”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc Johnny Cash “Ring Of Fire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCMz70Fm5pA Marty Robbins “El Paso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2GF1sZSEA The Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under The Bridge”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwlogyj7nFE AC/DC “High Voltage”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnjh-zp6pP4 Gordon Lightfoot “If You Could Read My Mind”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5tr_L31StI Kris Kristofferson “For the Good Times”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX094Nn4L_Y Waylon Jennings “I've Always Been Crazy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2MhAGtZgE Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4 Stevie Nicks “Stand Back”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwS9BIqbffU White Stripes “We're Going to Be Friends”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKfD8d3XJok
This week's episode is the first in a three-part series that celebrates the 70th anniversary of Resources for the Future (RFF). Over that time span, RFF has had a significant impact on the fields of environmental economics and policy. In this episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Ray Kopp, RFF's recently retired vice president for research and policy engagement, and Kerry Smith, an RFF university fellow (who also happened to be Ray Kopp's graduate school advisor). Kopp continues to lead the organization's Comprehensive Climate Strategies Program. Kopp, Smith, and Hayes discuss the 70-year history and legacy of RFF, the real-world impacts of its research, and how the act of conducting research itself has changed through the decades. They take a trip down RFF memory lane to explore how the world of environmental economics has evolved over the past 70 years—and how RFF has helped shape that evolution. References and recommendations: “Scarcity and Growth: The Economics of Natural Resource Availability” by Harold J. Barnett and Chandler Morse; https://www.routledge.com/Scarcity-and-Growth-The-Economics-of-Natural-Resource-Availability/Barnett-Morse/p/book/9781617260315 “Air Pollution and Human Health” by Lester B. Lave and Eugene P. Seskin; https://www.routledge.com/Air-Pollution-and-Human-Health/Lave-Seskin/p/book/9781617260582 Marchant calculator; https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_690723 “The Voltage Effect” by John A. List; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672117/the-voltage-effect-by-john-a-list/ “Big Data for Twenty-First-Century Economic Statistics” edited by Katharine G. Abraham, Ron S. Jarmin, Brian C. Moyer, and Matthew D. Shapiro; https://www.nber.org/books-and-chapters/big-data-twenty-first-century-economic-statistics “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari; https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/ “The Food Lab” by J. Kenji López-Alt; https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393081084
Guest: Ian Mann | Regular Book Reviewer and MD at Gateways Business Consultants See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Adhi and Justin sit down with Professor John List about the proliferation of experiments in social science, deformalizing economics, and the strategies to recognize a great idea in his new book, the Voltage Effect.
Most economists would argue that policies and business strategies are most likely to succeed if they are evidence-based, with their efficacy demonstrated empirically by randomized controlled trials before they are implemented at scale. John List spearheaded the introduction of field experiments in economics, publishing a raft of influential studies with this approach, and using his research insights to help shape both government policy and business strategy. He has learned a thing or two along the way. In The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022), he draws upon his own experiences and his research to show all the ways in which an idea that “works” in a field experiment can fall flat when rolled out at a larger scale. This book provides tremendous insight into both the value of field experiments and the careful attention to detail needed to ensure that they teach us the right lessons. John List is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. He has also served as Chief Economist at tech economy pioneers Uber and Lyft, and recently agreed to take on the same role at an established linchpin of the middle-American retail, Walmart. Host Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, where he leads a new Master's program in Applied Economics focused on the digital economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Most economists would argue that policies and business strategies are most likely to succeed if they are evidence-based, with their efficacy demonstrated empirically by randomized controlled trials before they are implemented at scale. John List spearheaded the introduction of field experiments in economics, publishing a raft of influential studies with this approach, and using his research insights to help shape both government policy and business strategy. He has learned a thing or two along the way. In The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022), he draws upon his own experiences and his research to show all the ways in which an idea that “works” in a field experiment can fall flat when rolled out at a larger scale. This book provides tremendous insight into both the value of field experiments and the careful attention to detail needed to ensure that they teach us the right lessons. John List is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. He has also served as Chief Economist at tech economy pioneers Uber and Lyft, and recently agreed to take on the same role at an established linchpin of the middle-American retail, Walmart. Host Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, where he leads a new Master's program in Applied Economics focused on the digital economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
Most economists would argue that policies and business strategies are most likely to succeed if they are evidence-based, with their efficacy demonstrated empirically by randomized controlled trials before they are implemented at scale. John List spearheaded the introduction of field experiments in economics, publishing a raft of influential studies with this approach, and using his research insights to help shape both government policy and business strategy. He has learned a thing or two along the way. In The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022), he draws upon his own experiences and his research to show all the ways in which an idea that “works” in a field experiment can fall flat when rolled out at a larger scale. This book provides tremendous insight into both the value of field experiments and the careful attention to detail needed to ensure that they teach us the right lessons. John List is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. He has also served as Chief Economist at tech economy pioneers Uber and Lyft, and recently agreed to take on the same role at an established linchpin of the middle-American retail, Walmart. Host Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, where he leads a new Master's program in Applied Economics focused on the digital economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education
Most economists would argue that policies and business strategies are most likely to succeed if they are evidence-based, with their efficacy demonstrated empirically by randomized controlled trials before they are implemented at scale. John List spearheaded the introduction of field experiments in economics, publishing a raft of influential studies with this approach, and using his research insights to help shape both government policy and business strategy. He has learned a thing or two along the way. In The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022), he draws upon his own experiences and his research to show all the ways in which an idea that “works” in a field experiment can fall flat when rolled out at a larger scale. This book provides tremendous insight into both the value of field experiments and the careful attention to detail needed to ensure that they teach us the right lessons. John List is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. He has also served as Chief Economist at tech economy pioneers Uber and Lyft, and recently agreed to take on the same role at an established linchpin of the middle-American retail, Walmart. Host Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, where he leads a new Master's program in Applied Economics focused on the digital economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics
Most economists would argue that policies and business strategies are most likely to succeed if they are evidence-based, with their efficacy demonstrated empirically by randomized controlled trials before they are implemented at scale. John List spearheaded the introduction of field experiments in economics, publishing a raft of influential studies with this approach, and using his research insights to help shape both government policy and business strategy. He has learned a thing or two along the way. In The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale (Currency, 2022), he draws upon his own experiences and his research to show all the ways in which an idea that “works” in a field experiment can fall flat when rolled out at a larger scale. This book provides tremendous insight into both the value of field experiments and the careful attention to detail needed to ensure that they teach us the right lessons. John List is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. He has also served as Chief Economist at tech economy pioneers Uber and Lyft, and recently agreed to take on the same role at an established linchpin of the middle-American retail, Walmart. Host Peter Lorentzen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco, where he leads a new Master's program in Applied Economics focused on the digital economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Any work in social and behavioral science presumably – but not necessarily immediately - tells us something about humans in the real world. To come up with those insights, research usually occurs in laboratory settings, where the researchers control the independent variables and which, in essence, rules out research ‘in the wild.' Enter John List. “For years,” he tells interviewer David Edmonds in this Social Science Bites podcast, “economists thought that the world is so ‘dirty' that you can't do field experiments. They had the mentality of a test tube in a chemistry lab, and what they had learned was that if there was a speck of dirt in that tube, you're in trouble because you can't control exactly what is happening.” Since this complex real world isn't getting any cleaner, you could conclusively rule out field experiments, and that's what the ‘giants' of economics did for years. Or you could learn to work around the ‘dirt,' which is what List started doing around the turn of the millennium. “I actually use the world as my lab,” the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago says. Since an early start centering on sports trading cards and manure-fertilized crop land (real field work, a self-described “bucolic” List happily acknowledges), his university homepage details a raft of field experiments: “I have made use of several different markets, including using hospitals, pre-K, grammar, and high schools for educational field experiments, countless charitable fundraising field experiments to learn about the science of philanthropy, the Chicago Board of Trade, Costa Rican CEOs, the new automobile market, coin markets, auto repair markets, open air markets located throughout the globe, various venues on the internet, several auction settings, shopping malls, various labor markets, and partnered with various governmental agencies. More recently, I have been engaged in a series of field experiments with various publicly traded corporations—from car manufacturers to travel companies to ride-share.” In the podcast, List explains, “I don't anticipate or assume that I have a ‘clean test tube,' but what I do is I randomly place people into a treatment condition or a control condition, and then what I look at is their outcomes, and I take the difference between those outcomes. That differences out the ‘dirt.' “I can go to really dirty settings where other empirical approaches really take dramatic assumptions. All I need is really randomization and a few other things in place and then if I just take the simple difference, I can get an average treatment effect from that setting.” His work – in journal articles, popular books like The Voltage Effect and The Why Axis, in findings applied immediately outside of academe – has earned him widespread praise (Gary Becker terms his output as “revolutionary”), a huge list of honors, and a recurring spot on Nobel shortlists. For this podcast, List focuses on two of the many areas in which he's conducted field experiments: charitable giving and the gig economy. He describes one finding from working with different charities around the world over the last 25 years on what works best to raise money. For example, appeals to potential donors announcing their money would be matched when they gave, doubling or tripling a contribution's impact. When he started, it was presumed that the greater the leverage offered by a match, the more someone would give, since their total gift would be that much greater. “There was no science around it … it was art, or gut feeling.” It was also wrong. List tested the assumption, offering four different appeals to four different groups: one with just an appeal for funding, one with a 1:1 match, one with a 2:1 match, and the last a 3:1 match. And the results bore out that matching a contribution amped up the results – but the leverage didn't matter. “Just having the match matters, but the rate of the match does not matter.” List was later the chief economist with ride-share behemoth Uber – and then with its competitor, Lyft. He coined the term Ubernomics for his ability to manipulate the tsunami of data the company generated. “It's not only that you have access to a lot of data,” he says, “it's also that you have access to generating a lot of new data. As a field economist, this is a playground that is very, very difficult to beat.”
What is the Voltage Effect? Why do some ideas fail while others change the world? What are the five hurdles one must clear to ensure the vitality of an idea? Why should policymakers move from evidence-based policy to policy-based evidence? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Professor John List, […]
What is the Voltage Effect? Why do some ideas fail while others change the world? What are the five hurdles one must clear to ensure the vitality of an idea? Why should policymakers move from evidence-based policy to policy-based evidence? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Professor John List, author of The Voltage Effect and Economist at the University of Chicago.
John A. List is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and Chief Economist at Walmart. List is co-author of The Why Axis, a fellow of The Econometric Society, and an editor of the Journal of Political Economy. His new book, The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale, focuses on the necessity of scaling ideas and the things that help and get in the way of doing this. List argues the only ideas worth pursuing are the ones with the potential to make a significant impact on human lives — and translating an idea into widespread impact requires scalability: the capacity to grow and expand in a robust and sustainable way. In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, List discusses the art of scaling, “voltage amplifiers”, “voltage drops” and gives advice on avoiding false positives, knowing when to quit an idea, not being deceived by averages, and the importance of behavioral economics in business. *** About the BCG Henderson Institute The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Scott Cunningham, professor of economics at Baylor University and author of Causal Inference: the Mixtape, interviews John List, professor of economics at University of Chicago, chief economist at Walmart (formerly Lyft and Uber Chief Economist), and author of THE VOLTAGE EFFECT about his life and career as an economist inside and outside academia, as well as the distinction between scientific work focused on narrow empirical questions and the science of scaling programs into their maximum effectiveness. .
Scott Cunningham, professor of economics at Baylor University and author of Causal Inference: the Mixtape, interviews John List, professor of economics at University of Chicago, chief economist at Walmart (formerly Lyft and Uber Chief Economist), and author of THE VOLTAGE EFFECT about his life and career as an economist inside and outside academia, as well as the distinction between scientific work focused on narrow empirical questions and the science of scaling programs into their maximum effectiveness. . Get full access to Scott's Substack at causalinf.substack.com/subscribe
Brought to you the Green Antler and BCFG (spring 2022). Its a science of scalling, not just for the ivory tower
Jeff and Rebecca talk about B&N's 2021 results and how TikTok steers the ship, recent reading, new Cormac McCarthy novels, and more. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The show can also be found on Stitcher. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: James Daunt talks about BN's 2021 Cormac McCarthy publishing 2 new novels with a different flavor Pamela Paul stepping down from NYT Book Review to join Opinion section The Voltage Effect by John List Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron Recitatif by Toni Morrison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Voltage Effect by The Fund Raising School
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”BROADCAST SCHEDULE:Weekends: 5 AM Eastern/2 AM Pacific (4 AM local)Revised live broadcast from February 26-27, 2022, on the Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, online at heartlandnewsfeed.com, Spreaker, the Heartland Newsfeed Alexa radio skill, and other platforms.Listen Live: https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/listenliveFollow us on social mediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlnfradionetworkTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/HLNF_BulletinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandnewsfeedMastadon: https://liberdon.com/@heartlandnewsfeedDiscord: https://discord.gg/6b6u6DTSupport us with your financial supportStreamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/heartlandmediaPayPal: https://www.paypal.me/heartlandmediaSquare Cash: https://cash.app/$heartlandnewsfeedPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/heartlandnewsfeedCrypto via 1UpCoin: https://1upcoin.com/donate/heartlandmedia
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”
Solving problems like poverty, education inequality or discrimination require policy interventions that can scale, but they rarely do. Why do some scale, while others have little success? It's not luck, it's not skill, it's actually a scientific method—at least, that's how Prof. John List describes it. A world-renowned economist at the University of Chicago, List has helped scale some big policies and technologies as a former White House chief economist and the chief economist for both Uber and Lyft. Through his experience, he's observed a thing or two about what not to do. In his new book, The Voltage Effect: How To Make Good Ideas Great And Great Ideas Scale, List lays out five key factors that people should consider when thinking through any idea, policy or product. He explains how shifting from policy-based evidence to evidence-based policy can solve some of the world's more pressing issues.
We want to up the electricity, and keep the voltage of our activity on a high note. What does it mean to have momentum in scaling, and then losing it after a period of time? What does it take to get to that high level of voltage in the first place? On episode 332, I […] The post 332: John A. List | Getting Ideas To Improve And Scale In “The Voltage Effect” appeared first on The Armen Show.
In this episode Andy Silvester talks to Lyft Chief Economist and University of Chicago professor John A. List for a chat about his latest book, The Voltage Effect. They discuss idea scaling; why this measure can decide whether or not an idea ends up performing well; the value of data; and John's background working for companies such as Uber and now Lyft. Andy also goes through the headlines -- new figures from the ONS have been released demonstrating that inflation is rising at an unequal pace to wages; former Post Office sub-postmasters and mistresses have been calling for former bosses to face prison time in the wake of the Horizon scandal; and mining company Glencore reported an 84 per cent increase in earnings in 2021. And finally, Andy talks to City A.M.'s Economics and Markets reporter Jack Barnett about the ONS inflation figures and US investment bank predictions about the UK's economic performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Make sure to follow the show so you don't miss upcoming episodes!Past guests on Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People Podcast: Dr. Jane Goodall, Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff, Netflix's Dream Home Makeover stars Shea and Syd McGee of McGee Studios, Daniel Pink, Tiny Habit's author BJ Fogg, Dave Evans author of Designing your Life, The Artist's Way author Julia Cameron, Entrepreneur and host of Smart Passive Income PAT FLYNN, Seth Godin, Hollywood director Jon M. Chu, indie author Hugh Howey, Rich Benoit of Rich Rebuilds, Dr. Robert Cialdini, Mark Manson, Martha Stewart, Brandi Chastain, Star of Netflix's Skin Decision Dr. Sheila Nazarian, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Dr. Sinan Aral, Scott Galloway, Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, iJustine, Kristi Yamaguchi, Chef Roy Yamaguchi, Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern, Gary Vaynerchuk, Sir Ken Robinson, Steve WOZ Wozniak, Ariana Huffington, Wee Man of Jack Ass fame, Margaret Atwood, Stephan Wolfram, Dr. Phil Zimbardo The Stanford Prison Experiment, and new remarkable people each Wednesday!
In this episode of the podcast, Brooke speaks with John List, Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago and Chief Economist at Lyft. John talks us through some of the key takeaways from his recent book ‘The Voltage Effect', which offers guidance around how to identify the ideas that will be successful when scaled, and how to avoid those that won't. Drawing from his career as an experimental economist and sharing stories from his own personal and professional life, John sheds light on the economic and psychological forces that influence the scalability of ideas, products and policies. Some of the things discussed include: - The challenge of scaling great ideas, from the Petri-dish to the real world. - What is the Voltage Effect and how does it impact scalability? - 5 vital signs for scalable ideas. - Diseconomies of scale and why bigger isn't always better. - Knowing when to pursue an idea and knowing when to quit.
The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics
Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. John List, former chief economist at Uber, current chief economist at Lyft, professor at the University of Chicago, co-author of the wildly popular book, The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life, who is here talking about his newest book, which just came out a couple of days ago, titled The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale. In this episode, we talk about ideas that can scale, possible hurdles you may face when scaling, and how to overcome those obstacles. John shares about his brand new book and the five vital signs to vett your own ideas as you are growing to determine if they will scale, and what to do for those that might not be ready to scale yet. Listen in to learn all about making those good ideas great and your great ideas scale! Show Notes: [00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. John List. Former Chief Economist at Uber, current Chief Economist at Lyft, and professor at the University of Chicago. [02:38] John shares about himself and his background in behavioral economics. [03:18] He quit on his dream to be a professional golfer to pursue his new dream in economics. [05:29] After learning he would take the lessons in many cases from the classroom and use them in the real world. [07:19] He hasn't been to all the baseball stadiums yet, but nearly all of them. [08:42] John shares the moment he started becoming more interested in scaling when he started a preschool and created his own curriculum. [10:59] Turning a mountain into a molehill. [12:23] We very rarely say, “Are we doing something that is scalable?” and “What do we need to do differently in our original research if we find the program works to make it scale?” [14:12] A constant thread in all of his walks of life is that you can only make big changes at scale. [16:58] There are five important vital signs that any idea has to have a chance to scale. [17:49] Just because your idea doesn't check all five boxes doesn't mean you shouldn't still go for it. [20:01] Vital Sign 1: Make sure your idea actually has voltage before you try to scale it. [21:14] Vital Sign 2: know your audience. [24:41] His group developed a new product called Uber Apologies. Apologies really only work for new users. [27:09] Vital Sign 3: Understand your situation. [29:05] Look at all of the constraints and flaws at scale and bring that back to the original research. With those constraints in place, do we have an idea that can still work? [30:18] Vital Sign 4: the spillover effect. [32:06] His team rolled out tipping at Uber in the summer of 2017. [34:35] Vital Sign 5: understand whether your idea has economies of scale or diseconomies of scale. Anything that has made it big has great economies of scale. [37:28] The context or the properties of the situation are super important. [38:02] Poke and prod and figure out where the weaknesses are. What are the nonnegotiables and if those aren't available at scale then you have to change your idea and refine. [40:53] We have a finite number of days we get to live on this earth and we only have so many ways to change it and make it better. Why not give yourself your best shot? [42:38] The second half of the book is using storytelling and standard ways to think economically to make better decisions in your life. [45:09] Melina shares her closing thoughts. [47:16] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!) Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show. I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:
What is behavioral economics? What is “the voltage effect”? How do you know if your business/policy idea will scale? We kick off Season Two with Professor John List, one of the most renowned behavioral economists out there, to chat about storytelling in his impactful work, his new book The Voltage Effect, and how we've been approaching scalability the wrong way. If you've lived in the United States, John's work has probably had an impact on your life — he is Chief Economist at Lyft, Distinguished Service Professor at University of Chicago, formerly Chief Economist at Uber (Ubernomics). He also served in the White House on the Council of Economic Advisers from 2002-2003 and on Behavioral Insights teams at governments around the world. John's new book, The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale, has come out on Feb. 1, 2022.