Team Experimentation
Team Experimentation is the practice of designing and running intentional experiments to test hypotheses, validate assumptions, and learn what works - quickly and with minimal risk.
It empowers teams to innovate, adapt, and make evidence-based decisions, supporting both product evolution and process improvement.
Level 1 – Initial (Ad Hoc)
Teams make decisions based on intuition, experience, or top-down direction.
There is no formal experimentation mindset or method.
- Experiments, if attempted, are informal and undocumented
- Learning happens by accident, not by design
- Failure is often punished or hidden
- Decisions are made without testing assumptions
- Innovation is limited to heroic efforts, not repeatable processes
Level 2 – Managed (Emerging Practice)
Some teams begin to apply basic experimentation, often in product design or user research, but not as part of everyday work.
- A/B testing or MVPs may be trialled in isolated cases
- Experiments are seen as special activities, not normal practice
- There is growing awareness of uncertainty and risk
- Hypotheses are sometimes discussed but not formalised
- Retrospectives may identify failed assumptions, but not pre-emptively
Level 3 – Defined (Standardised)
Experimentation is a standard part of how teams solve problems and deliver value.
Teams actively test ideas before full investment, and experimentation is supported by tools, frameworks, and leadership.
- Teams define hypotheses and success criteria before building
- Experiments are time-boxed, structured, and shared openly
- Outcomes are reviewed and used to inform future work
- Risk is managed through safe-to-fail testing environments
- Teams apply experimentation to product features, processes, and even team practices
Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed (Measured & Controlled)
Experiments are planned, tracked, and evaluated systematically.
Teams use data to guide iterations and investment decisions.
- Experimentation metrics include test velocity, learning cycles, and validation rates
- Experiments are linked to business goals and product strategy
- Teams can compare alternative options using measurable outcomes
- Experiment results are shared in accessible formats (dashboards, demos, writeups)
- Leadership encourages measured risk-taking and rewards validated learning
Level 5 – Optimising (Continuous Improvement)
Experimentation is cultural, continuous, and cross-functional.
Teams use it to explore new ideas, reduce uncertainty, and accelerate learning - across product, process, and technology.
- Experimentation drives innovation across the organisation
- Hypothesis-driven development is the default approach to change
- Teams run parallel experiments, refine ideas in-flight, and pivot confidently
- Feedback loops are short and embedded into delivery workflows
- Learning is celebrated and contributes to organisational knowledge and strategy