num_pages: 288
description: A leading economist answers one of todays trickiest questions: Why do some great ideas make it big while others fail to take off? Brilliant practical and grounded in the very latest research this is by far the best book Ive ever read on the how and why of scaling.Angela Duckworth CEO of Character Lab and New York Times bestselling author of GritScale has become a favored buzzword in the startup world. But scale isn't just about accumulating more users or capturing more market share. It's about whether an idea that takes hold in a small group can do the same in a much larger onewhether youre growing a small business rolling out a diversity and inclusion program or delivering billions of doses of a vaccine. Translating an idea into widespread impact says University of Chicago economist John A. List depends on one thing only: whether it can achieve high voltagethe ability to be replicated at scale. In The Voltage Effect List explains that scalable ideas share a common set of attributes while any number of attributes can doom an unscalable idea. Drawing on his original research as well as fascinating examples from the realms of business policymaking education and public health he identifies five measurable vital signs that a scalable idea must possess and offers proven strategies for avoiding voltage drops and engineering voltage gains. Youll learn:  How celebrity chef Jamie Oliver expanded his restaurant empire by focusing on scalable ingredients (until it collapsed because talent doesnt scale)  Why the failure to detect false positives early on caused the Reagan-era drug-prevention program to backfire at scale  How governments could deliver more services to more citizens if they focused on the last dollar spent  How one education center leveraged positive spillovers to narrow the achievement gap across the entire community  Why the right set of incentives applied at scale can boost voter turnout increase clean energy use encourage patients to consistently take their prescribed medication and more. By understanding the science of scaling we can drive change in our schools workplaces communities and society at large. Because a better world can only be built at scale.
language: English
title: The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale
publisher: Currency