Use A/B testing to learn about your consumers

A review of two books touts the benefits of A/B testing (WSJ, March 2020). The focus of the books is on the best way to design the consumer's online experience. A/B testing can also be used to test product features and pricing.

Auto manufactures are integrating vertically to produce electric cars

"In a slick investor presentation Wednesday, Ms. Barra made the case why investing in batteries made financial sense: More control over the supply chain would give GM leverage to push battery costs down to a level that would make electric vehicles both attractive to consumers and profitable.

"As Tesla’s market value has rocketed, the question of whether consumers are ready to buy electric cars has given way to whether manufacturers are ready to make them. More industry leaders are concluding that the only way is to embrace a form of vertical integration that has been out of fashion for decades" (WSJ, March 2020).

Several questions come to mind.

1. Would investing in tires give GM leverage to push tire costs down? If so, should GM invest in tire production? In rubber plantations? 
2. GM must think that the answers to Q1 are "No". GM does not produce tires and has not announced plans to do so. What makes batteries a good investment but not tires?  

The Internet is a scary place

"Price customization" is common on the Internet (FindLaw, June 2005).

Here is a short history of pricing and how the internet is opening up new avenues for firms to follow to increase price discrimination and profit (The Atlantic, May 2017).

Paying everyone at least $70,000

A boss in Seattle has increased profit by taking a pay cut and paying employees at least $70,000 per year (BBC, March 2020). He says that his life is better.

Jack Welch on motivating employees

Jack Welch on motivating employees (WSJ, March 2020).

(Mis-) Alignment of Interests @ AmEx

Salespeople for AmEx earned large bonuses but used "questionable sales tactics" (WSJ, March 2020). How would you improve the organizational design?