Experiment Nation: The Podcast

The things that CROs refuse to automate with AI with Gerda Thomas and Rommil Santiago

Koalatative's Gerda Thomas and Experiment Nation's Rommil Santiago answer your CRO questionsPart 1 of 3Chapters:8:05 – What is the right balance between big tests versus small and medium tests?12:47 – How many iterations per test will you run knowing the first test was negative but still see some relevant data toward the hypothesis?14:32 – In small traffic sites, is it best to run one A/B test or launch a test under pre-post test assumption?17:40 – What’s the one thing most people in experimentation still refuse to automate or use AI for that you think they should do it?-----Catch Gerda on Koalatative's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILhKsdHTUek

Building Experimentation Programs from Scratch with Emiliano Blanco

In this episode of Experiment Nation, host Jason Gossit sits down with Ameliano Blanca, a senior growth and product leader with 10+ years of experience driving revenue through data-driven experimentation.They dive deep into:How to build experimentation programs from the ground upThe balance between qualitative and quantitative insightsExperimentation in startups vs. mature organizationsCRO frameworks and the power of iterationHow to avoid "random testing mode" and adopt structured frameworksIf you’re a growth, product, or CRO professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you scale experimentation programs, improve conversion rates, and create sustainable growth strategies.👉 Get our new book: Prove It or Lose It – The (Mostly) No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving Experimentation Program Drama at experimentnation.com and all major bookstores.📌 Chapters:0:00 – Why tests should be rerun after 12 months0:19 – Welcome & introduction with Jason Gossit0:35 – Meet Ameliano Blanca: growth & product leader1:32 – First steps in building experimentation programs2:42 – Measuring conversion funnels & revenue impact3:46 – Tools for gathering quantitative & qualitative insights5:05 – Heatmaps, surveys, and finding hidden gems6:00 – Drafting test ideas & prioritization7:19 – Using and adjusting the ICE framework9:50 – The “three strikes” rule for failed experiments11:16 – Experimentation in startups vs. mature companies13:00 – Why rerunning startup tests is critical14:57 – When to pause or rerun losing experiments15:29 – Complementing quantitative data with customer interviews17:16 – Running experiments at scale in larger organizations18:18 – Balancing speed vs. rigor in CRO testing20:04 – Defaulting experiments & tracking long-term results20:11 – CRO frameworks and the power of iteration22:26 – Why iteration is underrated in experimentation23:44 – Adapting frameworks to your company & industry25:18 – Advice for teams stuck in random testing mode27:39 – How CRO perspectives have evolved over 10 years28:39 – Growth, insights, and the rise of experimentation in strategy30:38 – Real-world example: financing simulator boosts conversions

S5E4 - Ethical Testing & Design in Experimentation: Leaks vs. Puddles Framework (w/ Namata Agarwal)

In this episode of Experiment Nation, host Jason sits down with Namata Agarwal, a seasoned product designer with over 17 years of experience building digital products, websites, and apps.Together, they explore:- Ethical testing: how to balance user needs with business goals.- Leaks vs. puddles framework: a practical way to identify urgent vs. non-urgent product problems.- The role of design in CRO and experimentation.- Frameworks, guardrails, and collaboration strategies for building an experimentation culture.Whether you’re a CRO specialist, product manager, or experimentation nerd, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can bring to your own team.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated on the latest in experimentation and growth!📖 Check out Prove It or Lose It: The (Mostly) No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving Experimentation Program Drama .⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps0:00 – Why design must be involved early0:22 – Welcome & intro to Jason0:43 – Guest intro: Namata Agarwal0:55 – Topics: Ethical testing & Leaks vs. Puddles1:18 – What is ethical testing?2:22 – Balancing business needs vs. user needs2:54 – Handling stakeholder pushback4:01 – Misaligned metrics and real solutions5:17 – The Leaks vs. Puddles analogy explained6:32 – Why better hypothesis building matters7:48 – Using Airtable & frameworks for test prioritization8:40 – Why experimentation must be collaborative9:24 – Reframing experiments around the user journey10:00 – Unpredictable user journeys & design challenges11:12 – Involving guest collaborators in experimentation11:50 – Mapping user journeys with Miro & qualitative research12:50 – Jobs To Be Done & other qualitative frameworks14:44 – Turning qualitative insights into hypotheses15:32 – How product design elevates CRO strategies16:11 – The importance of forms in experimentation17:36 – Why design should be included from day one18:20 – Design is not just visuals—it’s about impact19:11 – Governance, responsibility, and inclusivity in testing19:46 – Leak vs. Puddle framework deep dive22:58 – Running collaborative workshops25:45 – The “Stinky Fish” workshop format27:21 – Micro vs. macro frameworks for problem-solving28:05 – Balancing bold ideas vs. safe bets29:19 – Planning tests like an investment portfolio30:13 – Testing across 13 sites at scale30:26 – What Namata would A/B test in daily life31:57 – Art, painting, and creative balance32:42 – Martial arts & keeping calm32:56 – Wrap up & final thoughts33:14 – How to connect with Namata

S5E3: Eppo, Datadog & The Future of Experimentation | Ryan Lucht on Advanced Testing & Culture

In this episode of the Experiment Nation Podcast, host Ward Vanestra sits down with Ryan Lux, one of the first team members at Eppo and now Experimentation Evangelist at Datadog.They dive into:What Eppo is and how it helps companies experiment at scaleWhy data warehouses are critical for trustworthy resultsThe recent Datadog acquisition of Eppo and what it means for the futureAdvanced methods like CUPED (noise-cancelling for experiments) and contextual banditsHow to scale experimentation culture and get promoted by driving adoption, efficiency, and trustworthinessWhether you’re a CRO, growth leader, or experimentation enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights from someone who’s been shaping experimentation for over a decade.📘 Check out Experiment Nation’s new book: Prove It or Lose It: The Mostly No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving Experimentation Program Drama → experimentnation.com⏱️ Chapters0:00 – Why win rates don’t really increase0:20 – Introduction to Ryan Lucht & Eppo1:20 – What Eppo does and who it’s for2:18 – Experimentation at smaller companies3:18 – Datadog’s acquisition of Eppo3:59 – The data warehouse advantage6:03 – CUPED explained: noise-cancelling for experiments9:13 – Segments, personalization & pitfalls11:09 – Heterogeneous treatment effects (HTEs)12:06 – Personalization with contextual bandits14:00 – Why Datadog acquired Eppo16:22 – Data observability & product analytics17:52 – Experimentation and site performance19:46 – Content, culture, and experimentation career paths22:10 – Every experiment is valuable (win, lose, or flat)24:17 – OKRs for experimentation leaders25:47 – Three key OKRs: adoption, efficiency, trustworthiness28:14 – Knowledge building and learning plans29:34 – The vision: experiments as the ultimate insight system30:24 – Ryan’s Substack “Everything is an Experiment”31:02 – Closing thoughts & where to connect

S5E2: Why Most Experimentation Programs Fail featuring Manuel Da Costa

In this episode of the Experiment Nation Podcast, host Richard Joe welcomes Manuel Da Costa, founder of Effective Experiments and now Efestra, to unpack a critical issue in the experimentation industry: the trust gap between practitioners and business decision-makers.🎯 Manuel shares how running more experiments isn’t the goal—making better decisions is. He introduces the Learning Loop, explains why most experimentation programs stall, and gives practical strategies for connecting experimentation insights to executive decisions.🔍 Whether you’re in CRO, product experimentation, or experimentation governance, this is a must-watch for moving beyond vanity metrics and toward real impact.📌 Connect with Manuel:📍 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manueldacosta/#CRO #Experimentation #ABTesting #EffectiveExperiments #ProductManagement #DigitalMarketingChapter00:00 – Experiments don't matter unless they drive decisions 00:30 – Meet Manuel Da Costa, founder of Effective Experiments 01:45 – Manuel’s journey: from web design to CRO and Lean Startup 03:00 – How experimentation became his product 05:20 – The limitations of spreadsheets in experimentation 06:45 – Building Effective Experiments to streamline the workflow 09:10 – What is the "Trust Gap" in experimentation? 11:30 – Why 88% of experimentation programs aren’t transformative 13:00 – The survival mindset vs. strategic experimentation 16:00 – The echo chamber of experimentation advice 17:40 – Why velocity and win rate are not the real success metrics 19:00 – The problem with how learnings are shared 21:00 – How to communicate insights in one powerful slide 23:00 – Building organizational learning with the “Learning Loop” 25:00 – Step-by-step breakdown of the Learning Loop framework 27:15 – Why experimentation needs executive alignment 29:00 – How to reset a tactical experimentation program 30:40 – Introducing Efestra: a governance platform for experimentation 32:00 – Final thoughts and how to get in touch with Manuel 33:14 – About the book: *Prove It or Lose It*