Seemingly unrelated activities — like taking a soccer penalty kick or crafting an online dating profile — involve an embedded economics.

“Understanding and applying economic logic can be valuable in pretty much any job or any other endeavor in your life,” says Paul Oyer, a professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

On this episode, Oyer digs into the shared economic logic of online dating and the labor market, explains why pro athletes and sports fans think like economists, and explores how AI has reduced the beneficial friction that was once a part of job searches.

Got a question about the economics of dating, sports, or the job market? Ask us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.

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Chapters:

00:00 Strategic decision-making in air traffic control

03:06 Introduction

03:27 Why sports are a useful lens for understanding economics

09:53 Why economics matters far beyond money

10:54 Economics & online

14:36 Applications of game theory

16:54 How AI is reshaping hiring and the labor market

22:25 The labor market challenge economists still have not solved

24:18 Conclusion

If/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.

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