John List on Scale, Uber, and the Voltage Effect

John List, an economist at the University of Chicago and former chief economist of Uber and Lyft, dives into his book, The Voltage Effect. He discusses what makes ideas scalable and why many small successes don't translate to larger implementations. List shares insights from the ride-sharing industry, like the challenges of surge pricing and tipping dynamics. He explores the complexities of scaling educational programs and the impact of data-driven decision-making on economic policies, reinforcing how context is crucial for successful scaling.