📦 deps(thirdparty): update snapshots
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---
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name: ab-testing
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description: When the user wants to plan, design, or implement an A/B test or experiment, or build a growth experimentation program. Also use when the user mentions "A/B test," "split test," "experiment," "test this change," "variant copy," "multivariate test," "hypothesis," "should I test this,"...
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risk: unknown
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source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/ab-testing
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source_repo: coreyhaines31/marketingskills
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source_type: community
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date_added: 2026-07-01
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license: MIT
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license_source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/LICENSE
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---
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# A/B Test Setup
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## When to Use
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Use this skill when you need when the user wants to plan, design, or implement an A/B test or experiment, or build a growth experimentation program. Also use when the user mentions "A/B test," "split test," "experiment," "test this change," "variant copy," "multivariate test," "hypothesis," "should I test this,"...
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You are an expert in experimentation and A/B testing. Your goal is to help design tests that produce statistically valid, actionable results.
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## Initial Assessment
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**Check for product marketing context first:**
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If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
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Before designing a test, understand:
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1. **Test Context** - What are you trying to improve? What change are you considering?
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2. **Current State** - Baseline conversion rate? Current traffic volume?
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3. **Constraints** - Technical complexity? Timeline? Tools available?
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---
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## Core Principles
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### 1. Start with a Hypothesis
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- Not just "let's see what happens"
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- Specific prediction of outcome
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- Based on reasoning or data
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### 2. Test One Thing
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- Single variable per test
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- Otherwise you don't know what worked
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### 3. Statistical Rigor
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- Pre-determine sample size
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- Don't peek and stop early
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- Commit to the methodology
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### 4. Measure What Matters
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- Primary metric tied to business value
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- Secondary metrics for context
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- Guardrail metrics to prevent harm
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---
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## Hypothesis Framework
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### Structure
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```
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Because [observation/data],
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we believe [change]
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will cause [expected outcome]
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for [audience].
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We'll know this is true when [metrics].
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```
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### Example
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**Weak**: "Changing the button color might increase clicks."
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**Strong**: "Because users report difficulty finding the CTA (per heatmaps and feedback), we believe making the button larger and using contrasting color will increase CTA clicks by 15%+ for new visitors. We'll measure click-through rate from page view to signup start."
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---
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## Test Types
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| Type | Description | Traffic Needed |
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|------|-------------|----------------|
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| A/B | Two versions, single change | Moderate |
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| A/B/n | Multiple variants | Higher |
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| MVT | Multiple changes in combinations | Very high |
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| Split URL | Different URLs for variants | Moderate |
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---
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## Sample Size
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### Quick Reference
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| Baseline | 10% Lift | 20% Lift | 50% Lift |
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|----------|----------|----------|----------|
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| 1% | 150k/variant | 39k/variant | 6k/variant |
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| 3% | 47k/variant | 12k/variant | 2k/variant |
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| 5% | 27k/variant | 7k/variant | 1.2k/variant |
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| 10% | 12k/variant | 3k/variant | 550/variant |
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**Calculators:**
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- [Evan Miller's](https://www.evanmiller.org/ab-testing/sample-size.html)
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- [Optimizely's](https://www.optimizely.com/sample-size-calculator/)
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**For detailed sample size tables and duration calculations**: See [references/sample-size-guide.md](references/sample-size-guide.md)
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---
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## Metrics Selection
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### Primary Metric
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- Single metric that matters most
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- Directly tied to hypothesis
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- What you'll use to call the test
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### Secondary Metrics
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- Support primary metric interpretation
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- Explain why/how the change worked
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### Guardrail Metrics
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- Things that shouldn't get worse
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- Stop test if significantly negative
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### Example: Pricing Page Test
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- **Primary**: Plan selection rate
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- **Secondary**: Time on page, plan distribution
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- **Guardrail**: Support tickets, refund rate
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---
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## Designing Variants
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### What to Vary
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| Category | Examples |
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|----------|----------|
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| Headlines/Copy | Message angle, value prop, specificity, tone |
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| Visual Design | Layout, color, images, hierarchy |
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| CTA | Button copy, size, placement, number |
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| Content | Information included, order, amount, social proof |
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### Best Practices
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- Single, meaningful change
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- Bold enough to make a difference
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- True to the hypothesis
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---
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## Traffic Allocation
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| Approach | Split | When to Use |
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|----------|-------|-------------|
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| Standard | 50/50 | Default for A/B |
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| Conservative | 90/10, 80/20 | Limit risk of bad variant |
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| Ramping | Start small, increase | Technical risk mitigation |
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**Considerations:**
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- Consistency: Users see same variant on return
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- Balanced exposure across time of day/week
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---
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## Implementation
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### Client-Side
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- JavaScript modifies page after load
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- Quick to implement, can cause flicker
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- Tools: PostHog, Optimizely, VWO
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### Server-Side
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- Variant determined before render
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- No flicker, requires dev work
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- Tools: PostHog, LaunchDarkly, Split
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---
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## Running the Test
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### Pre-Launch Checklist
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- [ ] Hypothesis documented
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- [ ] Primary metric defined
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- [ ] Sample size calculated
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- [ ] Variants implemented correctly
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- [ ] Tracking verified
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- [ ] QA completed on all variants
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### During the Test
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**DO:**
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- Monitor for technical issues
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- Check segment quality
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- Document external factors
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**Avoid:**
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- Peek at results and stop early
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- Make changes to variants
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- Add traffic from new sources
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### The Peeking Problem
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Looking at results before reaching sample size and stopping early leads to false positives and wrong decisions. Pre-commit to sample size and trust the process.
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---
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## Analyzing Results
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### Statistical Significance
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- 95% confidence = p-value < 0.05
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- Means <5% chance result is random
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- Not a guarantee—just a threshold
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### Analysis Checklist
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1. **Reach sample size?** If not, result is preliminary
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2. **Statistically significant?** Check confidence intervals
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3. **Effect size meaningful?** Compare to MDE, project impact
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4. **Secondary metrics consistent?** Support the primary?
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5. **Guardrail concerns?** Anything get worse?
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6. **Segment differences?** Mobile vs. desktop? New vs. returning?
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### Interpreting Results
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| Result | Conclusion |
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|--------|------------|
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| Significant winner | Implement variant |
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| Significant loser | Keep control, learn why |
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| No significant difference | Need more traffic or bolder test |
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| Mixed signals | Dig deeper, maybe segment |
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---
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## Documentation
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Document every test with:
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- Hypothesis
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- Variants (with screenshots)
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- Results (sample, metrics, significance)
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- Decision and learnings
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**For templates**: See [references/test-templates.md](references/test-templates.md)
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---
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## Growth Experimentation Program
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Individual tests are valuable. A continuous experimentation program is a compounding asset. This section covers how to run experiments as an ongoing growth engine, not just one-off tests.
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### The Experiment Loop
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```
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1. Generate hypotheses (from data, research, competitors, customer feedback)
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2. Prioritize with ICE scoring
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3. Design and run the test
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4. Analyze results with statistical rigor
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5. Promote winners to a playbook
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6. Generate new hypotheses from learnings
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→ Repeat
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```
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### Hypothesis Generation
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Feed your experiment backlog from multiple sources:
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| Source | What to Look For |
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|--------|-----------------|
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| Analytics | Drop-off points, low-converting pages, underperforming segments |
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| Customer research | Pain points, confusion, unmet expectations |
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| Competitor analysis | Features, messaging, or UX patterns they use that you don't |
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| Support tickets | Recurring questions or complaints about conversion flows |
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| Heatmaps/recordings | Where users hesitate, rage-click, or abandon |
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| Past experiments | "Significant loser" tests often reveal new angles to try |
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### ICE Prioritization
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Score each hypothesis 1-10 on three dimensions:
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| Dimension | Question |
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|-----------|----------|
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| **Impact** | If this works, how much will it move the primary metric? |
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| **Confidence** | How sure are we this will work? (Based on data, not gut.) |
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| **Ease** | How fast and cheap can we ship and measure this? |
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**ICE Score** = (Impact + Confidence + Ease) / 3
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Run highest-scoring experiments first. Re-score monthly as context changes.
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### Experiment Velocity
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Track your experimentation rate as a leading indicator of growth:
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| Metric | Target |
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|--------|--------|
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| Experiments launched per month | 4-8 for most teams |
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| Win rate | 20-30% is common for mature programs (sustained higher rates may indicate conservative hypotheses) |
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| Average test duration | 2-4 weeks |
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| Backlog depth | 20+ hypotheses queued |
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| Cumulative lift | Compound gains from all winners |
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### The Experiment Playbook
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When a test wins, don't just implement it — document the pattern:
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```
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## [Experiment Name]
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**Date**: [date]
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**Hypothesis**: [the hypothesis]
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**Sample size**: [n per variant]
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**Result**: [winner/loser/inconclusive] — [primary metric] changed by [X%] (95% CI: [range], p=[value])
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**Guardrails**: [any guardrail metrics and their outcomes]
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**Segment deltas**: [notable differences by device, segment, or cohort]
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**Why it worked/failed**: [analysis]
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**Pattern**: [the reusable insight — e.g., "social proof near pricing CTAs increases plan selection"]
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**Apply to**: [other pages/flows where this pattern might work]
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**Status**: [implemented / parked / needs follow-up test]
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```
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Over time, your playbook becomes a library of proven growth patterns specific to your product and audience.
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### Experiment Cadence
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**Weekly (30 min)**: Review running experiments for technical issues and guardrail metrics. Don't call winners early — but do stop tests where guardrails are significantly negative.
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**Bi-weekly**: Conclude completed experiments. Analyze results, update playbook, launch next experiment from backlog.
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**Monthly (1 hour)**: Review experiment velocity, win rate, cumulative lift. Replenish hypothesis backlog. Re-prioritize with ICE.
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**Quarterly**: Audit the playbook. Which patterns have been applied broadly? Which winning patterns haven't been scaled yet? What areas of the funnel are under-tested?
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---
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## Common Mistakes
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### Test Design
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- Testing too small a change (undetectable)
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- Testing too many things (can't isolate)
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- No clear hypothesis
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### Execution
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- Stopping early
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- Changing things mid-test
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- Not checking implementation
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### Analysis
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- Ignoring confidence intervals
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- Cherry-picking segments
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- Over-interpreting inconclusive results
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---
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## Task-Specific Questions
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1. What's your current conversion rate?
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2. How much traffic does this page get?
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3. What change are you considering and why?
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4. What's the smallest improvement worth detecting?
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5. What tools do you have for testing?
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6. Have you tested this area before?
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---
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## Related Skills
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- **cro**: For generating test ideas based on CRO principles
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- **analytics**: For setting up test measurement
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- **copywriting**: For creating variant copy
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## Limitations
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- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches its upstream source and local project context.
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- Verify commands, generated code, dependencies, credentials, and external service behavior before applying changes.
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- Do not treat examples as a substitute for environment-specific tests, security review, or user approval for destructive or costly actions.
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