The Voltage Effect

How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale

By: John A. List

Narrated by: Will Damron

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A leading economist answers one of today’s 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 I’ve ever read on the how and why of scaling.”—Angela Duckworth, CEO of Character Lab and New York Times bestselling author of Grit

LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD

“Scale” 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 one—whether you’re 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 voltage”—the 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. You’ll learn:

• How celebrity chef Jamie Oliver expanded his restaurant empire by focusing on scalable “ingredients” (until it collapsed because talent doesn’t 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.

©2022 John A. List (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“List is far too thoughtful to write something gimmicky or simple. . . . An entertaining and clear writer. His book is chock-full of compelling stories of businesses that failed and others that went big.”—The Wall Street Journal

“The Voltage Effect is the tool kit for the ambitious. Packed with proven principles and pro tips made real through behind-the-scenes stories in settings ranging from Silicon Valley to African NGOs, it fills the gap between startup books and management books to show how any idea can achieve its full potential.”—Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit

“Brilliant, practical, and grounded in the very latest research, this is by far the best book I’ve ever read on the how and why of scaling. If you care about changing the world, or just want to make better decisions in your own life, The Voltage Effect is for you.”—Angela Duckworth, CEO of Character Lab and New York Times bestselling author of Grit

High voltage ifeas

This book is full of ideas for scaling successfully. I see many opportunities in my own work in the NGO sector.

Voltage Effect

I enjoyed listening and learned that Economics is another form of data mining and analysis.

Excellent book

I recommend this to anyone interested in economics or human nature.
Great real-world examples of how ideas can, and do not, scale.
I would like to see he and his colleagues focus on how to indeed make education better. Any improvement in the US is needed.
We are raising a bunch of conspiracy theory trumpets and I see only ‘Idiocracy’ in our future without some marked success in education.

so inspiring... if you wanna do something big

this was chock full of anecdotes, stories, recipes, and perspective. I recommended it to lots of folks about halfway through, and did not regret my choice.

Good overall information

The Voltage effect is a dynamic set of facts and analyses that every business owner should be familiar with. Elegant in its delivery of information with personal as well know events, List makes the case on how and why a good idea needs to be developed and tested at scale.

Good Scientific Method

If you are starting a business that your think can scale this is a must read so you can set up the proper methods to measure the potential.

An excellent understandable book it gets real insights.

Amazing book that really takes fundamentals of economic data and the human personality snowing into it to show you how scaling is possible and how it fails.

Solid and worth the listen

Applicable information. Relevant example. Good narration. I listened on 1.3x.
This is a book I will review regularly.
Very good for entrepreneurs and all levels of business management (especially higher level decision makers). I will share this book with my partners, managers, and sales team.

Really great book

John List does an excellent job of explaining economic theories and concepts and making them relevant and relatable.

Life changing depositions....

loved it. One of the best book I have ever read. I am currently advising and implementing those findings into my business.