The roles in an experiment team

In this episode of Datadrivet, Joni Lindgren and Jasmin Yaya ask which competencies a team needs to run experiments at high speed. Jasmin draws the answer from recently lecturing startups on experimentation. One company then asked for help putting experiments into practice.

Jasmin lays out a four-step way to get going. First, audit the backlog for planned features worth testing small. Second, turn those into experiments by deciding the minimal thing to build and the right type of test. Third, prioritize the experiments and pick which to run first. Fourth, assemble a cross-functional team.

The roles on that team:

• Analyst, for setup and measurement
• UX Designer, for the user flows
• Developer, for the functionality
• Copywriter, for the content
• Marketer, to drive traffic if it’s needed
• Product Manager, for oversight and prioritization
• Champion, for coordination and keeping scope in check

Jasmin notes the best results came when two Product Managers worked in parallel. One held strategy and vision, the other ran the operational side. It is hard to be both at the same time.

Without the Champion, the pace the rest of the team is set up for never materializes.

Listen to the full episode of Datadrivet for Jasmin’s breakdown of the setup and the roles.