Common pitfalls: YOLO experiments and inertia

Get the Experiment Proposal Template mentioned in this episode.

Everyone says they want to “experiment” at work—especially now that AI is reshaping how teams operate—but most organizations still treat change like a project plan: analyze, design, roll out, hope for the best. The result? Fake experiments that are over-controlled and over-planned, or chaotic side projects that burn people out and quietly die. In systems this complex, you can’t think your way to the right answer, but you can test and learn your way there.

In this episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into what real experimentation looks like inside organizations. They unpack why complexity demands an iterative approach, why so many “tests” are doomed from the start, and what it takes to scaffold experiments with the right authority, resourcing, and constraints.

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Mentioned references:

• Adam Grant's astrology post
• Previous experimentation episode: BNW Ep. 62
• Aaron Dignan
• Charter
• management science
• operating rhythm: BNW Ep. 118
• sunk cost
• Even/Over
• WIP (work in progress)
• The Ready's Experiment Proposal Template

00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s a personal experiment you’ve done recently or are thinking about doing?

03:42 The Pattern: Desire for control and lack of structure stifles real experimentation

06:37 Parallels to R&D for pharmaceuticals

09:37 What’s missing in most company experiments

11:35 Example of The Ready’s experimentation

17:01 If everything succeeds, they aren’t experiments

22:21 Learning and scaling successful experiments is really hard

28:23 Ripple effects of experiments are just as important

30:00 Unstructured experimentation is deeply costly

34:57 Navigating the discomfort during experiments

37:28 Idea #1 - Create intentional space for learning

38:51 Idea #2 - The Ready’s Experiment Template

44:35 Idea #3 - No experiments for other people

46:10 Idea #4 - Prepare yourself for disappointment

48:48 Wrap up: leave us a review and share the show with your coworkers!

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.