Discover the importance of critical thinking and healthy intellectual disagreement in science and leadership. The hosts delve into John Platt's compelling essay, Strong Inference, explaining its four-step method and the significance of rigorous critique. They explore how a culture of psychological safety enables teams to address errors and accelerate growth. Plus, hear intriguing examples of A/B testing that challenge marketing assumptions. Embrace the art of dispute and engage in productive conversations!
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insights INSIGHT
Design Experiments To Falsify
Strong inference requires generating multiple alternative hypotheses before testing.
Design experiments to exclude hypotheses rather than merely observe outcomes.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Run Crucial Experiments Regularly
Devise crucial experiments with outcomes that rule out specific hypotheses.
Repeat the cycle with refined sub-hypotheses to accelerate learning.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Marketing Subject-Line Bakeoff
Douglas recounts an e-commerce A/B test where a one-word subject line beat complex options.
They proved it by running simultaneous variants and eliminating competing hypotheses.
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To lead effectively, you need critical thinking and a willingness to engage in productive conflict. It turns out, so do scientists! In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the art of healthy intellectual disagreement, drawing insights from a scientist's critique.
SHOW LINKS:
- Strong Inference article: https://courses.cs.duke.edu/fall04/cps296.2/science_platt.html
- Related episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science
- CITCON conference: https://citconf.com/london2025/
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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com
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About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Troubleshooting Agile