A Real Professional

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The price system motivates Gus to purchase the equipment for the chemistry lab, hire the resources needed and take the risk to produce and distribute the methamphetamine. Gale is shocked by the investment, but profit motives are often used as the incentive for investments. Firms only invest in resources if they believe they can lower the cost of production (given a fixed output) or to increase production either of which would increase profits.

See more: capital, economies of scale, elasticity of supply, fixed costs, incentives, inputs, investment, invisible hand, production, profit, profit maximization, variable costs

Costs & Production · Walter

Missing His Partner

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Walter tries operating the facility by himself and he’s struggling to move a barrel with Jesse gone. Normally, the two would work together to specialize in particular tasks to reach their intended goal. Having only one worker means that they aren’t able to gain from specialization.

See more: absolute advantage, comparative advantage, diminishing returns, division of labor, economies of scale, inputs, labor, productivity, short tun, specialization

Costs & Production · Gus · Walter

Walt’s New Facility

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After joining forces with Gus Fring, Walter learns about his new lab. The production facility is state of the art and includes some of the best equipment available on the market. This new equipment will allow Walt to produce even more of his blue meth than he could have previously imagined. Economies of scale are important in the production process. As facilities grow, their organization can begin producing large quantities, which lowers the average cost of production.

See more: economics of scope, economies of scale, efficiency, elasticity of supply, fixed costs, fixed inputs, inputs, minimum efficient output, optimal output, production

Costs & Production · Jesse · Supply and Demand · Walter

Worth the Money

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Walter finds a distributor to sell his meth to, but it requires that the two of them produce two pounds per week when they were previously making only one pound. Walter doesn’t see the issue because it wouldn’t take that much more time, but he’s excited for the significant increase in income from this deal. What Walter doesn’t realize is that there are capacity constraints when it comes to the inputs. Jesse is responsible for acquiring pseudoephedrine, which is the necessary ingredient to produce meth. Because of various US laws aimed at preventing pseudoephedrine to be used in meth, customers at drugstores can only purchased a fixed quantity at a time. Jesse drives hundreds of miles to collect pseudoephedrine from “smurfs,” but that can only produce 1/2 pound of meth each week. He doesn’t realistically see how the two of them can find enough pseudoephedrine to produce the two pounds of meth per week their new distributor is requesting. Luckily, Walter is a VERY good chemist!

See more: capacity constraints, economies of scale, government regulation, incentives, inelastic, optimal output, profit, Resource market, scale of production, scarcity, supply elasticity, underground economy

Costs & Production · Jesse · Walter

Risk vs. Reward

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Jesse brings in the revenue from the first batch of meth, and Walter is less than impressed with the amount of money that has come in. Walter had made a pound of meth (16 ounces), but Jesse has only sold 1 ounce because he’s selling it directly to users. Walter isn’t happy with the payoff because he feels the risk he is taking by breaking the law should result in a lot more profit. The two brainstorm ways to sell in larger quantities, but it turns out they had earlier killed the one person they knew who would be buy in bulk. By selling in larger quantities, the two can lower their average fixed costs (economies of scale), but it also means that they’re going to have to find a partner to do that because Jesse doesn’t have a big enough footprint to sell that much dope.

See more: average costs, comparative advantage, division of labor, economies of scale, fixed costs, middleman, opportunity cost, production, profit, specialization, supply chain, total costs