Chick-fil-A turned a Sunday closure into a revenue advantage
Chick-fil-A turned its Sunday closure into a forcing function for operational discipline, boosting per-store revenue.
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3,236 PUBLISHED CASES · REGULARLY UPDATEDChina raised blood donations with non-tradable perks, not cash
China's blood authorities gave frequent donors non-tradable perks like free bus rides, avoiding cash to prevent crowding out altruism.
Read the caseChina cut cancer-drug prices by covering the rich, not by targeting subsidies at the poor
China's NRDL reform cut cancer-drug prices by expanding insurance to include wealthy households, giving negotiators leverage over drugmakers.
Read the caseCialdini’s penny experiment: more donors, not double the donations
A 1976 field experiment tested whether explicitly welcoming a tiny contribution could increase participation. Separate the donation rate, gift size and total raised before applying its lesson.
Read the caseMichigan cut its benefits form from 42 to 18 pages by making caseworkers fill it out
Michigan cut its 42-page benefits form to 18 by making caseworkers fill it out as applicants would, not just review it.
Read the caseVrije Universiteit revived a 1894 skate patent by explaining its mechanics
A biomechanist revived a 1894 hinged skate by proving why it should work, leading to world records.
Read the caseIMSS sped up heart-attack transfers with WhatsApp ECG sharing
IMSS sped up heart-attack transfers by having ER doctors send ECG photos via WhatsApp, letting cardiologists review images instantly.
Read the caseSeven states split Colorado River into two basins to stop the race
Seven states split the Colorado River into two basins to stop the race for first use.
Read the caseCompton's speed hump jolts only fast cars
Physicist Arthur Holly Compton built a speed hump that jolts only fast cars, so drivers slow down without signs or patrols.
Read the caseCongress stopped Texas oil cheating by banning interstate hot oil
Texas couldn't stop its oil producers from cheating, so Congress banned shipping over-quota oil across state lines, killing the market for it.
Read the caseConnecticut labor department cut call volume with callback system
Connecticut's labor department cut call volume by offering guaranteed callbacks, removing anxiety-driven redials.
Read the caseWar Production Board to track quantity not rank
When everything is top priority, ranking means nothing. The constraint was quantity — stop ranking, start accounting: allocate steel like budget dollars.
Read the caseDafen's Wu Ruiqiu split painting into an assembly line
Dafen's Wu Ruiqiu split painting into an assembly line, one element per worker, to mass-produce reproductions.
Read the caseCharles Dalziel built a shock-proof circuit breaker
Charles Dalziel, a UC Berkeley professor, built a ground-fault interrupter that trips at 5 milliamps, not 15 amps, to protect people from shock.
Read the caseRival synth makers agreed on MIDI by building the cheapest version
Rival synth makers agreed on MIDI by building the cheapest version, not the best, so every maker could adopt it.
Read the caseDavid Phillips gamed Healthy Choice's per-UPC miles with cheap pudding cups
David Phillips gamed Healthy Choice's per-UPC miles by buying 12,150 cheap pudding cups.
Read the caseDe Beers turned diamonds into an engagement must-have
De Beers and N.W. Ayer, facing stalled demand, manufactured an engagement obligation via films, art, and price norms.
Read the caseDee Hock built a bank card network no one could own
Dee Hock solved rival banks' refusal to share a payment network by creating a non-stock membership corporation with non-transferable participation rights.
Read the caseDeir el-Medina workers won strike by picketing temples
Deir el-Medina artisans, unpaid, moved their strike to royal mortuary temples, making the disruption visible and forcing officials to release rations.
Read the caseDenver paid private investors to fix chronic homelessness via social impact bond
Denver used a social impact bond to fund permanent supportive housing, repaying investors from citywide savings on jail and ER costs.
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