The hottest Experimentation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

The Open/Closed/Open Principle

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1565 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Isolation Experimentation
  1. In software design, there are ordinary phases (small changes) and revolutionary phases (fundamental changes) - understanding when each is needed is important.
  2. Revolutionary design violates the open/closed principle by requiring new elements and relationships that don't fit with the existing design.
  3. Revolutionary changes in design require different values and care compared to ordinary design - they are essential for accommodating new types of features.

What If We Chose Leaders by Lottery?

Granted • 10781 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Reforms Democracy Experimentation
  1. The current system for selecting public officials is flawed and often attracts self-serving candidates.
  2. Radical proposals like selecting leaders by lottery can spark important conversations about improving our electoral system.
  3. Experimenting with alternative methods of choosing leaders is necessary to attract and elect better officials.

Fast Biology

Asimov Press • 270 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🔬 Science Biology Physics Mathematics Experimentation
  1. The concept of viewing time differently through the lens of the Minute Man and the Millennium Man prompts questions about our understanding of speed and time in the world.
  2. Biological processes at the cellular level can occur at astonishing speeds, with enzymes performing millions of chemical reactions per second and protein 'motors' spinning thousands of times a minute.
  3. Scientists use innovative experiments to directly observe rapid biological processes, such as watching ATP synthase spin or tracking ribosomes moving along messenger RNA strands, to gain a deeper understanding of the intricate workings of life.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Plant rennet: experiments with Calotropis Procera during my stay at Camel Charisma.

Milk Trekker • 176 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Experimentation
  1. Experimenting with plant rennets in cheesemaking can yield unique flavors and textures, but may require different techniques than traditional animal rennet.
  2. Using local medicinal plants for cheese production can be intriguing, but caution should be exercised due to potential toxic compounds.
  3. Working with plant rennets can be a delicate process, requiring specific ranges of temperature, acidity, and milk type.

Erika Updates #0: A Publishing Experiment

Erika’s Newsletter • 550 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🔬 Science Experimentation
  1. The author conducted an experiment on releasing updates publicly to provide insight into her research process.
  2. The experiment showcased how traditional scientific publishing differs from immediate updates in terms of production, readability, and narrative.
  3. The project involved expanding the genetic code to include more chemically diverse amino acids, holding potential for engineering better proteins.

Optionality — The power of smart options and experiments

10x your mind • 19 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🚌 Education Skill development Learning methods Personal Growth Experimentation Decision-making
  1. Optionality is about having backup plans for complex problems, not just deciding between simple choices like ice cream flavors.
  2. Smart options should be non-obligatory and allow for decisions after outcomes, helping increase luck in various aspects of life.
  3. Practice optionality for potentially unlimited gains with limited losses by exploring new opportunities and treating each option as an experiment.

A/B Testing Paradox: UX Maturity Reduces Your Gains

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 15 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🕹 Technology UX Design Analytics ROI Experimentation
  1. In A/B testing, the average uplift from design changes is small, about 0.15%, with 54% of cases showing improvements of 0.5%.
  2. Only 19% of experiments result in statistically significant gains, with an average lift of 1.0% across those cases.
  3. As companies mature in UX, gains from design experimentation may decrease over time due to the nature of tested designs and the diminishing low-hanging fruit.

Embracing the New Era of Accelerated Testing - Issue 150

Data Analysis Journal • 235 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data science Analytics A/B Testing Experimentation Tooling
  1. Embracing accelerated testing in the modern data analysis landscape is essential for success.
  2. The current traditional academic workflow for A/B testing may not be suitable for the evolving landscape of experimentation.
  3. To thrive in the era of rapid feature flagging and A/B testing, teams need to adapt by automating statistical checks, simplifying documentation, and eliminating bias.

Product-led marketing to reach 400,000 users

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 283 implied HN points • 17 May 23
💼 Business Marketing Data Analytics Messaging Experimentation Focus
  1. Product-led marketing involves aligning the product, marketing, and customer success for growth.
  2. Focus on user intent and eliminate unnecessary distractions in marketing efforts.
  3. Layer in the right messaging, experiment, triage, choose your battles wisely, and stay focused to reach milestones like 400,000 users.

Group Assignment in a Frontend vs. Backend A/B Test

Sarah's Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Experimentation UI/UX Data Analysis Frontend Backend
  1. Decide which product feature should be behind a test, read the results of an A/B test, prioritize features based on data
  2. Understand that frontend tests focus on user experience and user groups in the browser, while backend tests require business logic and user assignment in the database
  3. Choose frontend user group assignment for speed and simplicity via firing analytics events; go for backend assignment for more complete data by storing user assignment in a database model

Anomalous Radioactive Variations

Remote View • 196 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🔬 Science Research Experimentation Data Analysis Astrophysics
  1. Joe Parr conducted experiments with pyramids and radioactive sources, noting cyclical variations in radioactive counts possibly linked to moon phases and solar activity.
  2. Parr's hypothesis of a 'hyperspace bubble' forming around the pyramid passing through magnetic fields is based on anomalous events in the data.
  3. The test setups involved rotating pyramids between magnetic fields, with a sophisticated setup to measure radioactive counts and variations.

What the Law of Attraction has to offer Type A's

The Leadership Lab • 78 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Wellness Learning Psychology Self-Improvement Experimentation
  1. Belief in things happening without direct involvement can be beneficial for Type A personalities, promoting trust and allowing for more enjoyable journeys.
  2. High performers often have an unwavering belief in achieving their goals, which boosts resilience and positivity in difficult times.
  3. Balancing fundamental knowledge with experimentation is key for optimal learning, as relying solely on hacks or fundamentals can lead to stagnation.

Find Optimal Learning Rates for Stable Diffusion Fine-tunes

followfox.ai’s Newsletter • 157 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data Analysis Experimentation Optimization Model Training
  1. Estimate the minimum and maximum learning rate values by observing when the loss decreases and increases during training.
  2. Choosing learning rates within the estimated range can optimize model training.
  3. Validating learning rate ranges and fine-tuning with different datasets can improve model flexibility and accuracy.

p < 0.05 considered harmful

Simplicity is SOTA • 122 HN points • 10 Apr 23
🔬 Science Experimentation Statistical Analysis Decision-making Tech industry
  1. The standard use of p < 0.05 as a threshold in experiment analysis may not be as useful as commonly believed.
  2. The choice of p < 0.05 as a significance level in experiments is a default that was set nearly a century ago.
  3. In the tech industry, where the goal is to find real product improvements, the risk of false negatives should also be carefully considered, not just false positives.

Experiments in style: Reversed words

Eclecticism: Reflections on literature, writing and life • 5 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
📚 Literature Writing Style Experimentation
  1. Experimenting with reworking text into different styles can be a fun and creative writing exercise.
  2. Tools like reversing the order of letters in words can lead to unique and interesting word combinations for storytelling.
  3. Exploring experimental writing styles can spark new ideas and provide fresh perspectives for writers.

Covid-19 Disruption Experiments

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 21 Dec 20
💼 Business Economics Entertainment Streaming Movies Experimentation
  1. Covid-19 has forced businesses into experiments, pushing them to face changes they had been avoiding. For example, the movie industry is reevaluating its model post-pandemic.
  2. WarnerMedia is embarking on a disruptive experiment with HBO Max by releasing all 2021 movies on the platform. This move could reshape the industry.
  3. The movie industry is testing a new model by releasing films on streaming platforms first. The outcomes are uncertain but could lead to major shifts in how movies are distributed.

On the Inherent Subjectivity of Musical and Scientific Instruments

Cybernetic Forests • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jun 22
🔬 Science Music Instruments Communication Research Experimentation
  1. Our perception shapes our understanding, and expanding our tools of perception can lead to new discoveries in areas like science and music.
  2. The use of voltage spikes in mushroom communication can offer insights into creating electronic music using modular synthesizers.
  3. Sound can provide a unique connection to the information and interactions of living organisms, like mushrooms, fostering a deeper understanding of their behaviors.

Profit-maximizing experimentation regimes

Simplicity is SOTA • 0 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
💼 Business Marketing Experimentation Decision-making Comparative Analysis
  1. Experimentation regimes should focus on maximizing profit or a chosen metric, rather than blindly following traditional hypothesis testing rules.
  2. When designing experiments, prioritize actions that maximize profit, such as choosing sample size and treatment allocation strategically.
  3. Comparing the Test & Roll method with multi-armed bandits shows that both aim to maximize profit but have different complexities and decision-making structures.